Sacred Lie
by Anthem of the Night
Summary: A lie becomes truth if it is told enough, and a false Grail can still grant a true wish. Now, even more hapless souls are caught in a battle for the Holy Grail, unaware on how this battle shall be one to tear their worlds apart. (OC Masters, New Servants)
1. Chapter 1: Formation

_After the Third Holy Grail War, American magi copied all they could from what they bore witness to, and created a copy of the Holy Grail in a city called Snowfield on the Eastern coast of the United States. Inspired by this, another group of mages copied it as well, but instead of a replication, they created a "net". Their system could not produce its own energy and could only steal it from the true Heavens Feel. After the destruction of the Holy Grail in the Fourth and Fifth Holy Grail Wars, that immense amount of sheer energy being released resulted in a false ritual appearing in the Southwestern United States.._

 _Unlike the War on the Eastern Coast, due to the power of the leylines, Saber was still a viable class. Very little is known about this War, about what truly happened in another bloody battle for the Holy Grail._

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 _Do you want to find out?_

 _Or leave these secrets buried and rotting?_

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 _You're still here? Good good, marvelous. I'm glad you have come and stayed to read this. Now, you must be thinking_ "What the hell kind of writing strategy is this? He's completely shattered the fourth wall and not in the good way, the hell is he doing?" _. Now, that is completely warranted. But for your question, I will say it as simple as possible, which will most likely still be very confusing: According to the Multiverse Theory, there is a world for literally every possibility. Every show you've watched on TV, every strange dream where you were being assaulted by overly large genitalia, all of them exist._

 _Scary thought right? So for this story, keep in mind that fact. Don't think of the characters written here as just merely characters in a story, think of them as real. Real, living, breathing, supposedly sentient beings. Why did I say supposedly? Because if they exist, they only exist because this story willed them into creation. They are not real, but are real at the same time. If you think about it, we ourselves could only be existing because some other being in one of the infinite universes that exist willed us into creation with a story or two. Perhaps you are the protagonist, perhaps you are the antagonist. Both do in fact exist and are true but yet are false at the same exact time._

 _Why am I debating creation with some random person on the internet? Don't know, don't really care to be perfectly honest. But it is fascinating stuff right? Debating whether or not we actually even exist? It may not be why you're here, you're probably thinking to yourself_ "Dear God man, shut up about creation and the Multiverse and GET ON WITH THE BLOODY THING ALREADY!"

 _Ah well, I guess I couldn't keep you entertained forever. So read on my new friend, can I call you a friend? If it's not then I have no iss-Oh yeah, you can't voice your opinion until after I release this. Bummer. I'm going to stick to calling you my friend, it's easier and it offends less people. Anyway, what was I talking about?_

 _Oh yeeeaaahhhh, I was introducing the story, finally. Ahem, maestro please!_

 _Oh, no music? Well screw you too maestro! The nerve of that, that…whatever I'll shut up now._

 _So read on my new friend, read every word and discover the world that now exists somewhere in this vast universe, and remember that to you and I, they are just characters. But to them, they are real down to the bones of their soul._

…

" _I wish for all your dreams to come true, but keep in mind that nightmares are dreams too." – Unknown_

…

 **9 months before the False Grail War**

"Another Heavens Feel! The last War only occurred several months ago!" Lord El Melloi the Second proclaimed. He had been busying himself with reading some papers submitted by his students, but all was put on hold when another teacher, Mr. Blackwood, had burst into his office.

Mr. Blackwood was an old man and a well liked lecturer of the Clock Tower. Probably for the fact that he was surprisingly very accepting of modern technology, especially video games, which was where his and Mellois friendship originated. Short and stubby and with a terrible stutter, he had a potbelly that stretched the limits of his tweed suit, and his sandy hair was swept to the side with some hair product that smelled of mint, with brown eyes set deep in his face, which resulted in sweat building up directly below his eyes, giving the man the habit of carrying handkerchiefs and tissues whenever possible.

One of said handkerchiefs was currently being wrung in the mans hands, sweat pouring down his brow. "Y-yes sir. I-I-I wouldn't have in-interrupted you unless it was of mu-mu-much importance. Accor-according to what I've heard, be-be-because of the Holy Grail being destroyed in the last two Wars, a-a fa-false war is supposed to occur in America in roughly nine m-months. Me and all the other members of the Clock To-tower are being ad-ad-advised to look for bruise like marks on either their own or on their st-students bodies." He finished, his brown eyes lifting from the floor to look at his friends eyes. "Be-be-be-because you are both a survivor of one of these wars, and a-a-a friend-d-d, I requ-qu-quested to tell you in person." He finished, moving from fiddling with the handkerchief to the end of his sleeve.

Melloi sighed before standing up from his chair, rubbing his temples as he processed the information. He briefly looked back at Blackwood. "Are they certain?"

"Ye-Yes. The le-le-leylines are completely identical to the Fuyuki lines when th-they are preparing to summon the Servants and G-Grail." The man replied, before he abruptly stood up. "I-I have to leave for a class in several mi-minutes. Th-thank you for your time Mister Melloi." He said, worry knitted on his brow as he left the Lord standing alone in his office.

The young magus paced his office for several minutes longer, before he slid back into his chair. When he had first gotten word of the Fifth War starting, he had been surprised that it had been so soon since the last one, but had ignored it in his pursuit of permanently destroying the Holy Grail to prevent the fire that killed all of those people ten years ago from happening ever again. But here he was hearing about a battle for a fake Holy Grail, and so shortly after he had sent Flat to America with a pat on his back towards _another_ fake Holy Grail.

The man drummed his fingers on his desk as he mulled over all of the information he had just received, before walking behind his desk and reaching underneath it, feeling for a small wooden box attached to the side of the wooden desk. He grinned very slightly as he pulled out a bottle of liquor he kept for scenarios like this. A.K.A., scenarios that royally screwed up his head and normal thought process.

…

 _Was that OOC? The liquor bottle? I mean, if you were a complete genius who could never advance farther than your current condition because he's on a third generation magus and has to deal with the Clock Towers crap daily, you'd keep a bottle or two of something strong laying around._

…

 **Assassin; 4 months before the False Grail War**

Chicago was an amazing city, despite its many flaws and crime it was still gorgeous place. The bedridden man found it ironic that him, a guy who could barely breathe on his own, had moved to a place called the "Windy City". He had moved here for easier medical treatment, and there was almost no influence from the damned Magi Association. Those bastards rejected a dying mans last wish, for what? Some false honor? Pride?

He broke himself from his spell, and found himself gripping his bedsheets so hard his knuckles were white. He sighed and relaxed his hands, his eyes now wandering around his hospital room. Others may have had drawings from grandchildren and get well cards, but he had no such luxury. Not even the white flowers the nurses put up could alleviate the ache in his heart. He was truly alone in this world.

The door clicked, and he was greeted by a someone that he had the pleasure of calling friend. The nurse Adrian was a medical student who wanted to become a doctor, and took up the role of a nurse to get experience and money to stay in college. Also, he was a rarity just like the bedridden elder.

"Good morning Adrian." "Good morning Mr. Eriksson." The young man replied, his brown eyes lighting up as he started talking to his favorite patient.

"Oh hogwash, I've told you to call me Hugo. We are far past last name basis with what we've done for each other." Hugo said, trying to sound like he was reprimanding the boy but his smile said otherwise.

Hugo was a magus, first generation yes, but for a first generation he was rather impressive. 26 magic circuits all capable of maintaining 17 units of energy, and a master of Bounded Fields and Hypnotism. Hugo had one day picked up on his friends inactive circuits, and proved his own powers by reinforcing a plastic straw hard enough to break a fork in two.

Adrian was a half Mexican, half Irish smartass with olive skin, but that personality was what drew Hugo to him in the first place. Him being a magus too was a happy coincidence. He theorized that Adrians' ancestors had practiced magic, but his parents or grandparents stopped. Despite them not using magic, their circuits continued being passed on, and it led to Adrian having massive potential. 30 circuits, all capable of 24 units of energy each when Hugo discovered them, and through training had managed to bump up their capabilities to maintaining 26 units.

"Alright alright, old man." Adrian said, causing Hugo to frown before smirking.

"Whatever you say Shorty." Hugo replied, making Adrian stick his tongue out. Hugo hated being called old, while Adrian hated being called short despite the fact that he is only 5'4, but they had exceptions with each other.

"Anyway," Adrian began. "It's supposed to be training day right?" He asked, to which Hugo nodded.

"You are having issues with Hypnotism correct?" Hugo asked before continuing. "It's quite simple really, all you need to do is think about what you want the other person to do, and add mana to your voice or an outside object that is visible and easily augmented, like water or other liquids." He explained before gesturing to one of the flowerpots.

Adrian stared confused for a second before his teachers request clicked and he brought the flowerpot to Hugo, who nodded and mouthed 'Thank you'.

The elderly mage pulled the flowers out, and gestured to the water inside. "Right now, it's just flower water, nothing special. But with a tiny bit of prana attached with a simple command alongside it," The water began to spin around in the pot, before a small sphere of the liquid pulled itself up and out of the jar and hovered above the mans lap while the nurse stared with his mouth open in wonder.

"And it morphs and changes into whatever I want." He finished before looking at his student with grey eyes. "Try practicing applying your magecraft to water, and then move onto something thicker like milk or cream, and also practice applying mana to your words in a simple command like 'Grab that' or 'Raise your leg'. But be extremely careful, if anyone figures out what you can do, there will be repercussions." He finished ominously.

Adrian hurriedly nodded as he watched the water return itself to its pot, before frowning at something. "Hugo, when did you bruise your hand?" He asked.

"Hm?" Hugo questioned before looking at the back of his left hand to see a red marking on the back of his hand, and froze. A flower surrounded by thorns and a small bird in mid flight above it, all dyed into his skin in red. How? How had he received _it_? The thing his own teacher had spoke of with awe and desire, the mark that branded you as a contender on battle that could grant any desire, be it power or changing the past.

He could start again, fix every mistake, erase all of the unnecessary death and pain. Tears rolled down his face as he wept tears of joy. Adrian could be heard asking him over and over what was wrong, but he only broke free from his spell after several long seconds.

"Hugo? Why are you crying? Who gave you that bruise? Who hurt you?" Adrian asked panicked, but he stopped once he saw the smile on Hugo's face. "Teacher?"

"Nothing is wrong Adrian, in fact this is a blessing." He said, looking back at his Command Seals just to make sure they hadn't vanished. "Have I ever told you about the Holy Grail War?"

…

"So with this ritual, you can summon a Servant?" Adrian asked, and Hugo nodded in reply. They had moved to the hospitals basement, Hugo having Adrian fetch several blood bags and instructing him in the proper construction of the circle as he was stuck to a wheelchair.

"Yes, but despite our disadvantage, we can still get a capable Servant by summoning Assassin."

Adrian raised an eyebrow at the name of the Servant class. "Why Assassin? From what you told me there is far stronger classes available, and if we altered the ritual correctly we could get Berserker, and that just plain sounds stronger."

Hugo sighed slightly at his students rashness, but decided that it was logical for the boy to think that. After all, bigger is better as they say. "As much as I wish I could summon one of those Servants, I don't have the physical strength to maintain them. One battle and I could die from all my energy being drained. Archers are very independent, but there's the chance I wouldn't summon one and get another, more taxing Servant. Assassin is my best bet for victory without a catalyst." Hugo explained as he slowly rolled himself towards the circle, and stuck out his left hand.

" _ **Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone. By the teachings of the great mage Schweinorg.**_

 _ **The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.**_

 _ **Fill fill fill fill fill**_

 _ **Repeat five times.**_

 _ **But break once full**_

 _ **I announce.**_

 _ **Your self is under me, my fate is your sword.**_

 _ **In accordance with the arrival of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this desire, this reason, then answer.**_

 _ **Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.**_

 _ **You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, Old Man of the Mountain!"**_

The circle glowed brightly until he finished his chant, and an explosion of raw energy causing Adrian to turn his head in fear of getting debris in his eyes, but Hugo didn't flinch or look away. He wanted to see it, his Servant that would grant him victory and a second chance.

When the smoke cleared, Hugo was expecting someone in a skull mask as is what was traditional for Hassan-I Sabbah, but he certainly wasn't expecting a man wearing late 18th century clothing and a bowler hat.

He was average height, and was light skinned. He wore a expensive looking black suit and overcoat, not a crease or imperfection anywhere. He had charcoal eyes, and a dark brown mustache. The newly summoned Servant looked cautiously around the room, before stopping on Hugo, to whom he bowed slightly with his hat taken off and held at his waist, revealing short brown hair pushed to one side with mousse.

"I am the Servant Assassin," He said with a heavy American accent. "Are you my Master?"

…

 **Berserker; 3 months before the False Grail War**

"C-come on man! Please let me go! I'll disappear! You never have to see me again!" The man pleaded as he remained strapped to a chair, blood coating the front of his body. He was seated in a chair in a lavish room, the walls having golden accents and a beautiful painting of a woman holding a golden chalice towards the heavens.

His boss was surprisingly young for his position, only around 30 at the most. He had golden hair that was cut neatly, but several strands were untrimmed and fell into his face, making his normally soft features and his dark blue eyes stand out. He wore a black tuxedo with a golden cravat, and he had a gold ring with a sapphire adorning his right pointer finger, a golden watch on his left wrist, and a small silver ring on his left ring finger, indicating he was married.

He took a long drag of a cigarette before letting it out just as slowly. "Let you go?" He said, letting each syllable hang in the air. "I am not going to do that." He said coldly.

"Please, I was dumb enough to cross you." His captive whimpered out quietly. He started another plead, but was interrupted by, music?

" _Let me enlighten you_

 _This is the way I pray_

 _Living just isn't hard enough_

 _Burn me alive, inside_

 _Living my life's not hard enough_

 _Take everything away"_

The boss reached inside his suit, and pulled out a flipphone, and answered it with a hush towards his captive.

"Hello?" He asked, his eyes widening once he heard who was one the other end of the line. "Cormac! You should be asleep right now? Where's your aunt?" He questioned into the phone.

"Auntie Esmé fell asleep a while ago Dad, she had a long day and fell asleep." Cormac replied innocently.

"Then why do you have her phone? You know how she gets when other people touch her stuff." He said disapprovingly, but he was smiling as he said it.

"I wanted to know where you were, you're always at work nowadays…" Cormac said sadly, causing his fathers' heart to rip itself in half.

"I'm sorry buddy, but I have to. You wouldn't believe the idiots I deal with an a daily basis." He replied, throwing the bound man a knowing glance that made him flinch.

"Anyway, you need to head to sleep, we're going to open your magic circuits tomorrow remember?" He said, causing his captive to look up in confusion. _"Magic circuits? The fuck is he talking about?"_ He thought, trying to go over the possibilities until he heard the phone being flipped closed.

He snapped his head up in fear, and saw his boss now staring at him, his eyes gaining a demonic glint. "A magic circuit is what separates you and I. You see, I am a magus." He declared as his captive stared at him in disbelief and horror.

"We magi are a secretive type, making sure no one know that we exist, keeping all of our research hidden and out of sight. As per protocol, we have to either fiddle with the memories of any witnesses," He said as he raised his hand, the sapphire in his ring now glowing.

"Or we have to kill them." He stated coldly, before a small pulse of light shot out of the ring and buried itself in the mans chest, leaving a hole with the singed flesh smoking as the captives head fell backwards, his eyes glazed over in horror as blood oozed from his mouth.

"If only he hadn't called, I was originally going to just send you off with a message." He said as he walked closer to the corpse, taking another drag of his cigarette before putting it out on the mans forehead.

"I, am the only man you can get anything from, drugs, weapons, even more unconventional items. Anyone who crosses me shall die or become a puppet. So if you ever think about crossing me or my organization, keep this in mind. That no matter how big, or how small, you don't cross the Raven." He said amused, before cursing and grabbing his left wrist as a horrible burning suddenly tore through his hand. After several agonizing seconds, the pain suddenly stopped, not even an ache left behind.

He looked curiously at the back of his hand, before shock hit his face, which quickly morphed into giddy laughter. On the back of his hand now rested a symbol of a red shield with two swords crossed behind it, that he instantly recognized as Command Seals. He had been chosen by the Holy Grail to participate in the Heavens Feel, though he distinctly remembered hearing how the Fifth War had only happened several months ago, but he shrugged it off.

These Seals were his ticket to the Grail, and with it he would become stronger than anything that may cross his path. He would be the only king, he would be God.

…

Two long days later, he was now looking at the circle he had his men create. Turns out that traitor actually had a use, because it was his blood that filled the circle. He knew his men would never even joke about their leader being a magus, for they feared and respected him that much. That is why he had no reservations about ordering them to make this circle, and to find a certain relic. It was a bone, no it was more of a fossil, and it looked like a tooth.

"Mister Vogel," He heard one of them say. "Who are you summoning?"

Vogel smirked. "A killer." He said cryptically.

He wasn't of course summoning just some random murderer, he was summoning _the_ murderer. It was flawless, with Berserkers might and his small army of soldiers, he would win the Grail. He looked down at his watch, and confirmed that it was time, time to summon the Servant to crush all who opposed him.

" _ **Das Material ist aus Silber und Eisen. Der Grundstein ist aus Stein und dem Großherzog des Vertrag. Der Ahn ist mein großer Meister Schweinorg."**_

He began the ritual, speaking in his native tongue of German.

" _ **Schutz gegen einen heftigen Wind. Schließ alle Tore, geh aus der Krone, zirkulier die Gabelung nach dem König.**_

 _ **Füll, füll, füll, füll, füll.**_

 _ **Es wird fünfmal wiederholt.**_

 _ **Nur ist es die volle Zeit gebrochen.**_

 _ **Satz.**_

 _ **Du überläßt alles mir, mein Schicksal überläßt alles deinem Schwert.**_

 _ **Das basiert auf dem Gral, antwort wenn du diesem Willen und diesem Vernunftgrund folgst.**_

 _ **Liegt das Gelübde hier. Ich bin die Güte der ganzen Welt. Ich bin das Böse der ganzen Welt.**_

 _ **Du bist der Himmel mit dreien Wortseelen. Komm, aus dem Kreis der Unterdrückung, der Schutzgeist der Balkenwaage**_ _ **!"**_

" _And to ensure I receive Berserker."_ Vogel thought absentmindedly.

" _ **Dennoch dient du mit deinen im Chaos getrübten Augen.**_

 _ **Du, gebunden in den Käfig des Wahnsinns. Ich bin es, der diese Ketten befiehlt!"**_

The circle glowed all throughout the ritual, reaching its peak once he finished the original chant, but darkened once he added the extra lines for Berserker. A blast of magical energy tore through the room, revealing a small, clean shaven man with tanned skin and the furs of animals serving as clothing, a lions head serving as a shoulder guard, and a necklace made from individual razor sharp teeth. His small height and stature aside, his very presence screamed anger and rage. In his right hand, a rather unimpressively small dagger made from bone was clutched, the tip stained in blood.

He looked around the room with blank eyes, before stopping at Vogel. At the sight of his Master and the Command Seals, he resigned a sigh and bowed at the knee, grinding his teeth with barely restrained rage.

"I am the Servant Class Berserker, are you the bastard who summoned me?" Berserker spat.

…

 **Lancer; 9 months before the False Grail War**

London England was a beautiful city. And the young mage known as Jessiry Ava Kuznetsov, sixth head of her family, was going to enjoy every inch. Sure, maybe if she looked out her window during the night she had an excellent view of the local hooker joint down the street, but otherwise it was really pretty.

She returned her attention back to her mirror, putting her long silver hair in a ponytail, and slipped on her black framed glasses over her green eyes. She stretched her arms above her head, reminiscing about why she was in a dingy apartment when her family was loaded with cash.

She had moved to London to study at the Clock Tower, namely underneath the famous "Master V", or as he is formally known, Lord El-Melloi II. He had survived the Fourth Holy Grail War, and he was highly respected for his talent in bringing out the talent in others.

Plus, he's hot as hell. They don't call him Mister Charisma for nothing.

Breaking her thoughts away from the childish crush on her teacher, she reassumed getting her outfit together, consisting of a green T shirt with a grey jacket over it, and a pair of faded jeans with the knees torn.

She had exited her room and stepped down the slim hallway to her admittedly small kitchen when it happened. She was busy jamming to a song in her head when it felt like someone had stabbed her in her right hand. She yelped as she grabbed her hand and cradled it, her knees giving out with tears threatening to drop from her eyes.

After several agonizing seconds, the burning ceased. She shakily looked at the top of her hand, and her breath caught in her throat. There was a blood red mark on her hand, a cats eye surrounded by fire with a strange symbol directly above it that she recognized as her native tongue of Russian, "богиня" meaning queen.

"дрисня" She cursed under breath as she ran back to her room to find a pair of gloves. Thirty tense minutes later, she had eaten, brushed her teeth, and put on a pair of gloves to conceal, whatever the hell was on her hand.

" _I'll just go to Professor Melloi, explain what happened, and see what he has to say about it."_ She thought with a 'hmph' and a nod.

…

She hurriedly walked through the hallways of the Clock Tower, but realized it looked suspicious for her to be moving so quickly if it was just another day at school, so she forced herself to slow down.

She quietly crept to her classroom, walked up the amphitheater like seats, towards her usual spot next to Ezekiel Boswell, a odd but nice boy with bleach blonde hair and pale blue eyes. He wore a blue shirt over black slacks and blue tennis shoes, a shark carved from a red stone hanging around his neck on a black string. _"Gee, I wonder if he's a water mage?"_ She thought, amused at his clothing choice. Ezekiel was a water mage who used his own body as a catalyst for his magic, altering the water in his body to make him faster and stronger, despite him being skinny as a rail.

She herself specialized in Transmutation and Alchemy. Granted her family was nowhere near as proficient as the Einzberns in those fields, but her family was still respected semi highly in the Clock Tower. She had developed a way of creating magical explosives from her potions, one of her advanced brews being capable of taking down a building according to the last time she tested it.

Ezekiel casually waved at her as she approached, his eyes still facing the blackboard and empty podium. "Hey." He said quietly.

"Hey." She replied back, fidgeting with her gloves as she sat down and put her hands in the pockets of her jacket. She was drawing a complete blank at the symbols on her hand, she probably read about it in a book somewhere, but her brain had a habit of forgetting something, and then remembering it after it would be useful. But her initial impression of strange symbols appearing on her hand was something slightly abnormal, and she could keep it to as few people as possible.

"Where's the professor? He take the day off and not notify anyone?" She asked, to which Ezekiel shrugged. "I am unaware of anything like that. But Mister Melloi isn't the guy to cancel class, in the year I've been in his class he hasn't missed a day." He replied, his "Logic trumps Emotion" personality shining through with every word.

They talked a little more, which mostly comprised of Jessiry saying something and Ezekiel responding with his opinion on it, but all classroom chatter was broken when El Melloi walked in.

Oddly, he didn't look like his usual 'I hate my life because I can't move a step higher than my current position' self. Granted he still looked like he was 10 years older than his body, but he seemed, off. His red jacket was slightly creased, and his straight black hair was a little disheveled.

Even Ezekiel commented on it, despite him sometimes appearing to have as much emotion as a plank of wood.. "He appears as if he has heard or seen something he would've preferred not to." He said quietly as the teacher walked to the podium and cleared his throat.

"Class, I have an, important issue I need to discuss with you about." He began. "Who here is aware of the Holy Grail War?" He asked the class, to which some, including Jessiry, gained confused looks, while others either raised their hand or remained silent.

"For those unaware, the Holy Grail War is a battle between mages, fighting for a supposedly omnipotent wish granting device called the Holy Grail. It involves 7 chosen Masters summoning 7 heroes of legend to do battle until there is only one Master and Servant pair remaining."

"Why am I telling you this? Because in roughly six months time, a Holy Grail War will be fought in an American city. And one of your fellow students or teachers could be a Master." He said, causing the class to break into hushed whispers.

"The Holy Grail? Doesn't that have something to do with the Christians?"

"Omnipotent? You mean I could wish for anything and I would get it? Holy crap, I gotta become a Master!"

"Wait, wasn't there a Grail War a couple months ago?"

"I thought the Holy Grail was just a rumor."

"Wasn't Mister Melloi a Master?"

Melloi let the chatter continue for several seconds, before quieting it with a cough "Yes, this all very exciting," He said dryly. "But keep in mind, any who are selected by the Holy Grail have to fight, and with the Holy Grail as the prize, any who are in that War will play dirty and killing another Master is allowed."

"A Master knows they're chosen when Command Seals appear on their body, red markings in a group of three." Melloi said, causing Jessiry to flinch. "If you or anyone you know has developed Command Seals, contact me as soon as possible. I will fill you in on the rest of the details you have to know. Now, onto today's lesson…"

…

Class had gone relatively smooth that day, most of the students talking about the Holy Grail and how awesome it would be if they were a Master. All of which only made Jessiry that much more frightened. If someone figured out that she was a Master, what would happen to her? Cut of her arm and take the Seals? She had no idea how they worked, or if they could even be removed. Maybe they were bound to her soul and trying to remove them is a death sentence. Or it was as simple as willing them off of you. Anything was possible with these things!

Only her and the teacher remained in the class, everyone else already having started heading home or to a local hang out. El Melloi didn't even bother asking if she was a Master, he already knew from her fidgeting.

"When did the Seals appear?"

"This morning, I was getting dressed when suddenly my hand burned really badly for several seconds. And when it stopped, the Seals were on my hand." She explained, her gloves now removed and her Command Seals exposed. She was still getting used to the fact that _she_ was a Master. The sixth heir to a only moderately well known family becoming a Master in _the_ Heavens Feel. People would kill her on the spot to get her chance in fighting, and she hadn't even done anything to get them!

"In the traditional Holy Grail War, 7 Servants are summoned by 7 Masters to do battle, three of those mages are a representative or head of one of the three founding families, the Tohsaka, the Einzberns, and the Matous. However, you are not in a traditional War." El Melloi explained.

"I'm not in a traditional War? What do you mean by that? Is there something wrong about this War?" Jessiry replied concerned.

"This War is a 'False War', created by mages copying the Fuyuuki system during the Third Holy Grail War 70 years ago. It appears as if the leylines chosen still can maintain all of the Servants. But be warned, this War could be entirely different from the standard. Servants that would normally be impossible to summon could appear, such as literary heroes or people who were even evil in their lifetimes." El Melloi said, briefly remembering Casters' abomination in the Fourth War.

"Unfortunately, there is no way to easily remove Command Seals, but it is possible. Unless you actually plan on doing something as choosing a Catalyst for a Heroic Spirit, and fight in the Holy Grail War." El Melloi stated, watching Jessirys' reaction out of the corner of his eye.

She was definitely nervous, by the way she kept on rubbing her finger over the Seals and stared at them with worried look in her eyes. But she also looked determined, he couldn't stop her, her parents couldn't stop her, hell, even Zeltrech couldn't even dream of stopping her now. _"If she wants to die, so be it."_ Melloi thought with a resigned sigh.

…

 **Phoenix, Arizona; 2 Weeks before the False Grail War**

"Of all the things needed for the ritual, why does it need to be blood?" Jessiry groaned out as she poured another small bucket of pigs blood into the circle she had carved a week before in the basement of the hotel she had been staying at. She, of course, wasn't paying for it and had used Hypnotism on the staff to get her a random room free for as long as she needed. She had been meticulously researching how a Servant worked and what she needed for the ritual, which included a Catalyst, a very certain circle, and that circle to be filled with either blood or liquefied precious metals.

She may be a Transmutation mage, but the book she had "borrowed" from the Clock Tower library didn't specify what metal and she didn't want to risk it.

She finished pouring the copper smelling liquid, took off the latex gloves that went to her elbows off her hands, and walked over to a small metal table with a wooden box holding her catalyst and the "borrowed" book on it.

She opened up the box, and looked at the Catalyst that had taken a month to get. A rusty spearhead that had a large ripple in the blade. Supposedly it was connected to an ancient spearman who, according to legend, once killed a man and broke a bridge with their voice. She chalked that part up to people making their hero larger than life, but if it was part of the legend then there was a chance it would be a Noble Phantasm.

Gingerly taking the catalyst out of the box, she placed it north of the circle and walked to the southern most point, took several deep breaths, and began her chant with her hand raised.

" _ **Silver and iron to the core. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone. By the words of the master Schweinorg.**_

 _ **The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions shut, coming from the crown, the trice-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.**_

 _ **Fill fill fill fill fill.**_

 _ **Repeat every five times.**_

 _ **And break once filled.**_

 _ **I announce.**_

 _ **Your self is under me, my fate is your sword.**_

 _ **In accordance with the coming of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.**_

 _ **Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.**_

 _ **You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, Keeper of the Balance**_ _ **!"**_

The room was rocked by a thunderous blast that sent Jessiry onto her butt, smoke filling the circle. She groaned as she pushed herself up, but froze once she was fully standing and witness to her Servant.

She was tall, standing heads and shoulders above her, wearing ancient Chinese battle armor, white fur on the gauntlets, shoulders, and shins. Her face was exposed, she was Chinese with a scar on her cheek. In her right hand, a massive spear was being held, the shaft was painted red and had two golden dragons carved in, snaking their way up and down the polearm. The spearhead alone was half a foot, and it had three main ripples in the blade, and it's design resembled a snakes scales.

She looked down at the small Russian girl, and spoke with voice clearly hardened by years of military service. "I am Lancer, are you my Master?"

…

 **Rider**

Duty is such a loose word. To one duty means fighting in a war for their country, to others it means dying for their God. She, the heiress to her family of ancient magi, was no different. She had a duty greater than her body, larger than her family, larger than anything this world could dream of creating.

Anna Walks-On-Fire was the heir to a secretive tribe of Native Americans, who after the country was "settled" by the Europeans, vanished from the sight of any tribe or any nation that claimed that her peoples homeland belonged to them.

Her ancestors had been true Spirit Walkers, but instead of only being able to glance to the Spirit Realm like the spirit walkers of most tribes, she and all of her ancestors had been capable of staring into it. With the aid of her ancestors, she was capable of amazing feats, immense strength, seeing through objects and into your very soul.

She wandered the hallways of her mind, watching as outside the "windows" spirits could be seen as small blue blurs that bolted past at impossible speeds. This was her own little spot in the Spiritual Plane, a lighthouse in a raging storm. Without this place, her soul would be swept up in the raging currents of hundreds of thousands of wraiths, where she would become one with her ancestors.

She did look forward to the day she would join her parents and grandparents, but now was not the time. Now was the time to put these "Command Seals" to the test. She felt her mind leaving the spirit realm, and back into her own physical body.

She opened her hazel eyes, and looked around her bedroom. She slept only when absolutely necessary, meaning that she would often go a week before sleeping for a day straight. As she rarely used her bedroom, it was bare of anything but a small bed with a gray blanket, and the room was probably originally intended to be used as a linen closet.

She stood up from her bed, her small nightgown sticking to her skin from all of the sweat she had been building up, leaving very little to the imagination in regards to her rather generous figure. She stepped out of her bedroom, and walked towards her Workshop, briefly glancing at the markings that she had waken up to four days prior. It was a phoenix, it's wings spread over her hand grandly. The irony of the Seals design and her own past not escaping her.

Warm light flooded the halls from the tall windows, revealing a rather unimpressive view of the Nevada desert. She briefly looked out the window, her eyes reflecting in the glass. When others looked out the window, they saw a desert, but when she looked out those windows, all she saw was death. Dead plants, bones of dead animals, all burning in the unforgiving sunlight.

" _Just like how I have been burned."_ She thought sadly, turning her eyes back to the glass. When she was 15, her house had caught ablaze, killing her parents and her brother, only she had survived but had walked away with burn scars that stretched across her body, turning some bits of her dark skin ghostly white, making her once beautiful body into a broken shell. The day she regained consciousness was when she took on the name Walks-On-Fire, for she had walked through the flames to escape. That was 8 long years ago. After she recovered from her injuries, she sold some artifacts her family had held onto and purchased this manor in the middle of the Mojave desert, roughly 60 miles away from Las Vegas.

Breaking herself from her memories and wiping away tears that had formed in her eyes, she briskly regained her pace down the hall and towards an unassuming door that led to her Workshop. The primarily dark red room had been a spare bedroom that she never found a use for, and it was littered with tables that held countless papers on top of them, a small desktop computer and fax machine was in one of the corners with a strange looking device her father had purchased when she was 10 called a "Pendulum" and had miraculously survived the fire, which was essentially an enchanted gem attached to a pen that was somehow connected to a family contact in the Clock Tower over in England. Preparation was key for survival, and prepare she had and would.

A large section in the middle of the room had been cleared for the circle she had to carve. She knew that her parents viewed the Holy Grail War with disdain, that the Ancestors would never approve of something as barbaric and foolish as hunting for something as impossible as a omnipotent wish granting device, but she had too. For the sake of her people and herself, she would win the Holy Grail. _"Even if it means using the blood of others,"_ She thought as she cast a weary glance at the freezer in the corner, filled to the brim with blood bags she had stolen from a hospital in Vegas.

She walked over to one of the tables, pushed some papers aside and searched around for a small box. Opening it up, she saw something that brought a smile to the 23 year olds face. An Azoth Dagger, gifted to her by her mother after she first entered the Spirit World. It was a Mystic Code, designed to be used as a catalyst for magic. What she planned on doing with it was a lot less, traditional.

She pulled the dagger out of the box, walked to the another table and grabbed a book she had her contact in London send over, and flipped through it until stopping on a page with a magic circle inked into it. She walked to the cleared area, put the book down on the floor so that she could refer from it, and began carving the circle into the wooden floor.

" _I will get my Servant, and with its strength, I'll right what has been wronged."_

…

 **Four Hours Later**

Anna sat cross legged, her nightgown replaced with loose fitting clothing to relieve the stress on her scars, meditating on her choice and her plans for the War. The book described using a "Catalyst", an object of a particular Heroes legend, but she didn't want to waste any of her limited resources, so she was choosing the second option.

Using herself as the Catalyst.

She opened her eyes, and began focusing all of her spiritual energy into the circle in front of her, reciting the words that would summon her Servant.

" _ **By the Call of your Child, come to me through the Gate of The World, and lend me your strength."**_ She intoned, her eyes turning milky white as she called upon the aid of her Ancestors. Her body was covered in a light blue mist as the spirits surrounded her, lending her strength.

She focused on the Magic Circle, and mindlessly spoke the words of the ritual, her voice echoing with the hundreds of souls speaking alongside her.

" _ **Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone. The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg.**_

 _ **The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.**_

 _ **Fill fill fill fill fill**_

 _ **Repeat every five times.**_

 _ **Simply, shatter once filled.**_

 _ **I announce.**_

 _ **Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.**_

 _ **In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.**_

 _ **Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.**_

 _ **You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance."**_

The circle erupted in a cloud of smoke, filling the room as Anna watched impassively, before the spirits left her and she collapsed drained of all or her energy. However, instead of falling on the wooden floor, she fell into a set of arms.

The muscled and strong, but they felt strange, as if they weren't truly there, and whoever the hands belonged to had rough palms that scratched her skin. Opening her eyes, she was greeted by a face that made her gasp.

It was a Native American, just like her. His brown eyes were filled with worry, and his eyebrows were scrunched up as he looked at her sweating face, his dark hair fell to his shoulders and framed his slightly wrinkled face, and she could see a feather tucked behind his right ear. He slowly raised her to his feet, his hands held out to steady her as she stumbled to her feet.

"Are, are you my Servant?" She asked of breath, to which he nodded while smiling.

"I am Rider, are you my Master?"

…

 **Saber**

2 **years before the False Grail War**

…

 _In order to create, you must destroy something first. Ore must be destroyed to create iron, wood must be destroyed to create fire, and the weak must be destroyed to create the strong_

…

 _Sealing Designation:_

 _Name: Lord François Baudelaire II_

 _Magic: Necromancy: Specialized in creating ghouls similar to those of a Dead Apostle, but far weaker, until he turned himself into one and is now capable of creating ghouls superior to average undead._

 _Reason for Designation: Turned himself into a Dead Apostle and is destroying any villages in his path throughout Central China. His younger brother, Caillat Baudelaire, desires the family crest._

 _Payment: 2 million pounds or the equivalent of in currency of your choosing._

…

Central Park, a small breath of nature in the concrete jungle that is New York City. No matter what time of year it was, people would bring their families to enjoy it's natural beauty. However, in this park was a dangerous man, someone who could take one of the many skyscrapers that framed the park to the ground.

A man who doesn't flinch at his comrades dying all around him, would slaughter entire cities if he deemed it necessary. He walked with Death, and had long since forgotten his fear of it. A magus.

Well, that's what people assumed he would act like given his reputation and his profession. In reality, he was still cold and slightly heartless, but if he could avoid unnecessary deaths in his career choice, he would gladly prevent it. He was lucky to snag this Designation before the Enforcers caught up, but it was only because he was working in the Middle East at the time he got wind of it did he manage to turn the late François Baudelaire inside out.

Yeah, thing they don't tell you about Dead Apostles, they smell about a hundred times worse than your average corpse when you blow them up. That was his only option, fighting a magically supercharged undead monster in open combat was a death sentence in of itself, so setting up a explosive that was probably twice as much as necessary in a small house that he had taken blood and soaked the walls in it was honestly the best option. The bastard probably thought he had stumbled on a slaughterhouse or something and was going to have a feast, only to be met with a combination of gunpowder, phosphorus, and several other explosive compounds.

However, the freelancer didn't expect the blast to be strong enough to blow out his eardrums when he was standing more than 80 yards away. Thank the Root he had some aptitude for Healing Magic, otherwise he would have to be learning sign language right about now.

This now vampire slayer was sitting at a seemingly random bench, a large briefcase at his side. Getting the Crest extracted from the body would have been a nightmare he wasn't willing to put himself through, so instead he just brought the bit that held the Crest.

Yet again, thank the Root the Crest for this family was on the left foot, and small enough he could easily sneak it through security with Hypnosis and sneak it into a hospital to keep it from rotting or degrading. He absentmindedly bounced his knee, waiting to see if Caillit really wanted his Crest bad enough to go all the way to America, and do the transaction in such a open area. But if he knew magi, they were arrogant and cocky, but if something as important as the Family Crest is on the line they would sooner drop their pants and offer their ass than lose the one thing that gave then a foothold in the magical world.

He spotted a man wearing a white suit and tie, his posture and snooty expression gave him the impression of a blue blood who believed himself to be better than all of the plebeians around him, so much so did he hold himself up that the man he was unfortunately working with was using every ounce of willpower to not punch this guy into next week.

Mister Better Than You walked to the bench and sat down, and took a long judging look at his newfound associate. A man in his early to mid twenties, he had short brown hair and a messy beard. His eyes were a greyish blue, and he wore a large black overcoat coupled with black gloves and pointed boots. He didn't smile or show anything to recognize who had sat down other than a glance out of the corner of his eye.

"I assume you are _the_ Solomon?" The man asked in a heavy French accent, to which Solomon nodded curtly before raising a finger to his mouth. A slight chill went down both men's spines as the latter chanted a quick aria under his breath.

"Aegis of man." He whispered, a image of a knight raising their shield against a unseen blow flashing in his mind. After approximately four seconds, a hastily cast Bounded Field surrounded the bench, preventing onlookers from hearing anything they said. After finishing the spell, Solomon looked at the Frenchman, tapping the suitcase with his finger

"This contains the exact location of the Crest." He said before handing it to Caillit, who with barely restrained giddiness, popped it open to reveal a small piece of parchment rolled up in a scroll. The magic that leaked from the scroll making the Frenchman's skin crawl. "Wha-what is this?" He asked hesitantly.

"A geis, it entails both me giving you the location of your Crest, and that you pay me in full for the job, and compensate for the 100,000 yuan I wasted hunting your pain in the ass brother down over 200 miles. In addition, it prevents you from trying to kill me and take your money back after this exchange." He said bluntly, turning in his seat and pulled a quill from seemingly thin air. "Of course, if you reject the offer, I could always sell the Crest to the Clock Tower. Or perhaps I'll keep it for myself and start a new magic family?" He said coldly, before holding the quill out to Caillit.

"I leave the choice to you, Mr. Baudelaire."

…

I whistled casually as I fingered the check in my pocket for roughly 2,014,605.15 USD. Apparently Frenchie really wanted that Crest, and as per the agreement of the geis, I gave Baudelaire the location and the appropriate paperwork to get the foot, and the pissed off Frenchman gave me 2 million euros, and 100,000 yuan in American currency. Someone was either getting hammered, laid, or both tonight!

I suspected that if I didn't fork over 10 grand for the geis, I'd probably would have been been killed afterwards and the death would be covered up. Magi were possibly the most arrogant people on earth, but they were also some of the most stubborn and very few can see out of their small bubble to see if they're about to get betrayed or shot in the head.

" _To the victor goes the spoils as they say."_ I thought and as I walked to the nearest bank, intent on cashing in my little 'paycheck'.

…

 **6 Months Before The False Grail War**

This, this was strange. I was getting a request from someone in the Clock Tower. Not a request to hunt down a rogue family member or rival, but to come in and talk? I'm a freelance bounty hunter, and someone wants me to come over for tea?

My 'You're Going To Get Stabbed In The Back' sensor was going haywire.

Walking through this place was like walking through my past, a past I sincerely want to forget. I was the, no, they disowned me so technically they aren't my family anymore. But before I was doing this as a profession, I was the child of a mage family. They were the Dougal, a family that took pride in that one of their ancestors was trained by the King of Magic himself, King Solomon. Well, that's what they claimed, no one actually knew. My guess was that it was a mistress who learned some semi advanced stuff while she was doing the nasty with the King.

They believed the only way to reach the Root was by the use of both Formalcraft and Witchcraft, saying on how using the "ancient magecrafts" and Gaia's natural energy were "the only ways" of how one could get closer to the Root of all magic. Essentially they prayed where leylines converged for days on end and committed human sacrifices to absorb their souls power into the Crest.

I was their second son, or technically third. I was born a few minutes later than my sadly stillborn twin, and like good little magi, they didn't want to waste anything. So, they implanted my own fucking twins magic circuits into my body over the course of a year. They were sloppy, whenever I relied on the damned things it felt like I was using my nerves as fake magic circuits. I was supposed to be trained as the heir, but when my older brother awakened his circuits when he was six and had more circuits on his own that I did without my extra set, they cut off my training and focused exclusively on my brother. I guess they wanted a heir who wouldn't collapse screaming bloody murder if he used too much energy or activated the wrong circuit.

My mother, the owner of the Crest, still found a shed of mercy, and taught me the very basics, leaving my dumbass to figure out a lot on my own. My arms still are slightly numb from when I scorched them when I tried using a simple curse. They still hurt like a bitch if I try and reinforce my arms for longer than several minutes.

Shaking my head, I continued down the hallway, slightly hunched over with my hands in my pockets as I used the way I was walking and a scowl that could cut diamond to prevent questions or people asking for directions. Do I look like a goddamn map?

Briefly glancing downward, I noticed that despite me not actually looking for my destination, I was still being, _pulled_ somewhere. It was hard to describe, like how you know someone is watching you or that you know that you aren't alone, except a hundred times stronger. I was bored, and the contact didn't specify when I had to get there, so in the words of hundreds of the people who came before me, "Fuck it." Let's see where this compulsion drives me.

Several intriguing minutes later, I found myself walking towards the exit of the Clock Tower, and I cursed under my breath. _"If you wanted me, don't send my ass on a magical goose hunt."_

Magi, obsessed with making shit twice as complicated and annoying to do. If they needed a new location, just send a text or call. Don't set a compulsion spell targeting the person YOU asked to come and send them to Root knows where.

After wandering the streets and narrow alleys for about half an hour, I could sense the spell weakening, either meaning the spell was hastily cast, or that I was getting close to my objective. The spell led me to a small apartment complex that was probably going to be demolished in a week, so I wandered to the front door and stepped inside and wandered up the thin staircase, bringing myself to a stop.

The place smelled like piss and liquor. Or me the morning after I get a large paycheck.

I tried the doorknob, but of course it was locked. With a sigh, I pressed my right hands palm to the door and began to probe it. A curse I found several years back, at the lowest rank could prove something for a weakness, at higher ranks could exploit that weakness. If a person had broken their finger recently, it would exert pressure and eventually break it again.

After several seconds of concentration, I deactivated the spell and brought my foot up. Aiming 2 inches higher and 7 inches to the left of the doorknob, I was now targeting the weakest point on the door. With a quick Reinforcement of my leg, I slammed my foot at the wooden door, which crumpled and splintered underneath the extreme force, before the now broken door swung on its hinges until it slammed against the wall.

"Knock knock."

I brought my foot down and stepped inside the apartment, to be greeted with a completely empty living room. I walked through the rest of the apartment, to find that it was completely vacant except for the bedroom. I stepped inside and had to choke down bile as I smelled the unmistakable stench of rot. In the small bedroom, sprawled spread eagle on the floor was what may have been a woman once, but it's organs had been removed and placed all around a dark red circle.

Based on the fact that the person's skin was a lovely shade of mossy green, they had been here for a while. Several days at the least, _if_ this was a normal body and victim. This was Witchcraft, and it wasn't impossible for the body to rot faster as result of the mage doing the ritual. It's hard to explain, it's like how they don't have an in depth description of a line or a point in geometry. Its just the way it works, can't go into more detail than that.

Now for my favorite part of being a self proclaimed amateur detective and forensics guy, investigating the body(Yay). _"Oh please please PLEASE don't tell me you had Mexican or Indian food before you got axed."_ I pleaded as I slipped on a projected rubber glove onto my left hand, the black, semi transparent stone that made up my right glowing dimly.

About a year and a half ago, the Baudelaire dickhead was still mad about the money I took from him, and sent some other mercs after me. They were good too, one of their punches felt like it would hit me to the next millennium. One of them was packing a double barrel shotgun, and before I could get close enough, blew everything below my right shoulder clean off. I still managed to stab him in the temple, but it took a lot of willpower to stay awake long enough, and a lot of painkillers and liquor until it stopped hurting constantly.

Several spells and a puppet master to help create fake nerves for the new arm, I had replaced my entire right arm with obsidian, a one of a kind Mystic Code I very originally nicknamed the Dark Arm. Funnily enough, it's attack style was based off of it breaking into smaller pieces, and then launching the needle sharp shards at my enemies. One person underestimated the combat efficiency of it. That person had to have a closed casket funeral.

" _The binding spells were written in calligraphy, this must be a Eastern mage. The question of what magic that was used is solved, but now for the more pressing issue."_ I thought as I continued investigating the body. _"The hell was a Easterner doing where the Mages Association has the most power?"_ I thought as something that smelled foul exposed itself as I moved the stomach away, revealing not only that it was leaking bile but that there was something inscribed underneath it. 胃, Wèi, the Chinese word for stomach.

Several disgusting minutes later, I finally was able to finish filling out a rough sketch of the circle. Wherever there was an organ, underneath it was a bit of calligraphy that named the organ that laid on top of it. Unfortunately, I specialized in Western Witchcraft, not Eastern. And the amount of experts I knew were nonexistent, and the amount in general were pretty small to begin with.

" _Whatever, I'll just leave this nightmare for the Mages Association to deal with-wait what the shit?"_ I thought suddenly as a I saw something on the back of the corpses right hand. Blood? Bruising? No, it contained a magic signature, this was something else.

With a careful hand, I lifted up the corpses hand, and almost choked at what I saw. Three red markings, a arrow piercing through two separate hearts. _"This, no way. No fucking way."_

There was three Command Seals on the corpses hand.

…

 **One Month Before The False Grail War; Twenty Miles Away From Phoenix Arizona**

…

Call me crazy, call me stupid, I don't care. The luck of being drawn to a corpse that had Command Seals on its hand? What dumbass would pass up the chance of getting the Holy Grail? Well okay, a lot of people but, oh shut up.

I grit my teeth as I slowly inserted the needle into my vein, my blood slowly oozing into a blood bag. Over the last several months, I had been doing this in order to get enough blood for the circle that I had already carved into the floor of this old trailer home. Strange fact, the Southwestern United States is a magical hotspot. There is countless legends about mythical beasts and strange events happening in this particular region, all of them fueled by the leylines that were overflowing with energy.

And this small and terrible smelling trailer home was at the crossroads between three of them.

As the bag slowly filled up, I reminisced about why I was even here. I probably could have sold the Seals for major cash, hell most powerful magi would offer me their spouses and their firstborn if I gave them the Seals. But, this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

Call it pride, call it the desire for revenge, call it whatever you like, if I won or was one of the last participants, I would become something of a rarity and a hot commodity. Someone who will be renowned for their combat skills, someone who people know not to screw around with. Someone to envy.

If it means getting to tell my brother to go fuck himself, I'll do it within a heartbeat. Turning my attention back to my arm, the blood bag was almost full, and I felt like I was about to fall unconscious or go into shock. That actually happened once, several years back I got stabbed in the leg and my artery got nicked. I managed to heal it fast enough, but by the time I was finished I was a inch away from the grave.

You would not believe the headache, no hangover or morning after could even dream of comparing.

Pulling the needle out with a grimace, I walked over to the mini fridge I had hooked up to my cars battery, and took stock of how much of the stuff I had. Four bags, should be more than enough. Pulling out all of the bags at once, I brought it over to the dilapidated table and chair and put all but one of them down on top of it.

Grabbing the bit that normally separated the bag from the dripper, I very carefully pulled on it until the plastic tore and a very small hole emerged. I crouched down and very, _vary_ carefully began pouring it into the circle.

I was originally going to just rip open a hole in it and pour it in all at once, but then I considered the fact that ripping a giant hole in a blood bag was probably the last thing I wanted to do unless I wanted to look like I just ate someone.

Several minutes and three blood bags later, the circle was complete. It smelled coppery, and unpleasant as hell, but so be it. I looked down at the Seals on my flesh hand, the power of the Holy Grail to order a Servant three times. The mark that recognized me as a Master, and damn it all if it didn't feel great.

A Catalyst, tempting but risky. I could get some arrogant dick who thinks that they rule the world or maybe a madman with anger issues. If I used my body as the Catalyst, I would get a Servant that matched my personality, which was a dickhead with a heart of gold. No, gold was ugly. Silver? No that's a holy metal and I'm a blasphemous warlock. Iron is too crude and rigid, and Steel is cliché.

Obsidian. Forged in the flames of the Earth and now sharp enough to cut in between the bounds that hold things together. The aftermath of destruction, a weapon that becomes smaller and deadlier every time it is shattered. That was who I was, that was my existence.

" _Huh, guess I'm a philosopher now."_ I snickered at the thought. I had my moments, but most of the time I was a complete dumbass.

Raising my left hand, I began my chant.

" _ **Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone. The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg.**_

 _ **The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.**_

 _ **Fill fill fill fill fill**_

 _ **Repeat every five times.**_

 _ **Splinter, and break once full**_

 _ **I announce,**_

 _ **Your self is under me, my fate is your sword.**_

 _ **In accordance with the coming of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this desire, then answer my call.**_

 _ **This is my oath. I will become all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one destroys all of the evil of the world.**_

 _ **You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O Keeper of the Balance!"**_ I finished with a roar as the Circle literally blew up in my face.

The force sent me stumbling backwards until I tripped and slammed against the wall. "Motherfu-Man that hurt." I muttered quietly as I pushed myself back onto my feet, and stared at the man that now stood in the circle.

He was tall, taller than six feet at the least, with a ragged black cloak and black armor. His arms were scarred, and he had two scaled metal gauntlets with bladed knuckles on his hands and forearms, his black hair was wild and long, and I was greeted rather terrifyingly by two yellow eyes that pierced through the dark of the trailer. Perched on his back was a blade hidden by his cloak, but the hilt was made of bronze or brass with black wrappings around the handle.

He stepped forward, his scaled boots clinking together as he slowly walked towards me and offered his hand. I took it and was pulled up to my feet without an issue. He gave me a quick slap on the back that felt like I just got sucker punched by Muhammad Ali after he took an entire barrel of steroids and cocaine.

"Sorry if my summoning injured you Master, I was not anticipating you would summon me in such a," He glanced around the trailer. "Confined space." He said half amused.

"Hardy har har, let's just finish this so I can take a nice, long, 12 hour nap."

"Of course Master." The Servant straightened himself and spoke in a deadpan voice. "I am the Servant Saber, are you my Master?"

"Yes, now that's all said and done," I said around a yawn as I walked to the door. "Time for a nice sleep."

"Sleep well Master."

…

 **Caster**

 **Five Days Before The False Grail War**

"This is ridiculous." Ezekiel commented quietly as he reread the page again. The "fact" they had put in this tome was completely false, had been disproven. This book should have been either destroyed or corrected years ago, yet here it was, spreading it's lies. Perhaps he should burn it? No, that would be ridiculous, the book could prove useful still, so he wouldn't destroy it.

Yet.

Putting the book aside, he reached his arms above his head and stretched. He placed the book in a pile separate from the ones he had already read, and grabbed the next book from the large pile.

"The Heaven's Feel," He whispered as he opened the book and flipped to the first page.

 **The Heaven's Feel, more commonly known as the Holy Grail War, is the result of the Einzbern, the Tohsaka, and the Matou clans cooperating together in order for the Einzberns to reclaim the Third Magic that they lost centuries before. It is a duel between 7 Magi and their Servants, heroes of legend brought from the Throne of Heroes as powerful familiars.**

" _A pipe dream, everything has to get something in return. Well, perhaps not the First Magic, but nearly everything in the world is bound by that rule."_ Ezekiel commented in his mind as he lazily skimmed through the pages.

 **By eliminating each of the Servants, their souls returning to the Grail create a hole to the Root. Originally the Holy Grail War was supposed to be used purely to gain access to the Root, but the Holy Grail carries the potential to manipulate Gaia, and foolish mages seek the Grail solely for the purpose of fulfilling a physical desire.**

 **It takes 60 years for the Holy Grail to collect enough energy to both maintain itself and the Servants. By marking magi with Command Seals, it grants them the power of being a Master. The Grail takes a Master from one of the three families that created the Holy Grail, and fills the remaining slots with seemingly random magi, but it has a very specific choosing system that no magi, as of this being written, actually know.**

" _How, dumb."_ Ezekiel thought clicking his tongue. _"This is a djinn's lamp, if that one wish can manipulate the World, one just needs to wish for everyone to have their wish granted, including themselves. Then again, some humans don't deserve a infinitely powerful wish, or any desire to be granted for that matter."_

" _Humans are rather vile creatures at heart if you consider all of what humans as a collective have done."_ He thought as he stood from the desk and hefted the large pile of books into his arms.

" _Even those with magecraft don't do anything to change the world significantly, hoarding it to themselves and hold themselves as superior to those who could very easily destroy them if they wanted to. We're outnumbered, outgunned, and they actually have the collective thought of destroying all that they don't understand. Humans are dumb like that."_ He thought, not at all disturbed by his thoughts of how easily he and everyone he knew could be massacred. It was just the way he thought, often putting a logical decision in front of an emotional one. Saves time and effort, and often results in the best decision for him, a win/win in his book.

" _It is rather annoying, all of the staff here acting like chickens with their heads cut off with the Fake Grail War happening."_ He thought with a 'tch'. They had talked to the students about how a Holy Grail War was happening in America, and it was about a month ago that they revealed that the war wasn't the real thing. In order to try and motivate anyone who was secretly or going to be a Master, they assured them "That this fake is still as powerful as the original". Most likely trying to lure put the poor sod out of hiding and then rob him blind. More likely they would kill them, with the whole 'no loose ends' mentality.

Sighing, he put the last book up on the shelf and walked to the exit, regretting how long he had spent researching as he could see the sum beginning to set through the massive windows in the hallway. Turning towards the exit, he began the walk back to his apartment downtown. He had decided against taking a dorm that they provided for students, considering that they could have preplaced spying rune or spells in the rooms.

And no one liked being watched while they were doing something designed to remain hidden.

…

Opening the door to his apartment, he was greeted to the sounds of water filters and the scent of moss. He locked the door and deadbolt, before turning towards his "living room".

It had three large tables in the center of the room, one small table and chair tucked into a corner, and one large bookcase off to the side. On the tables were large fishtanks, one was filled with colorful types of tropical fish from the Caribbean and the Great Barrier Reef, another had a baby leopard shark, and the last was filled with something one could only describe as "abominations".

One of them had four eyes and was a rainbow of colors, another had razor sharp teeth that were far to large for its small body. They were his experiments on splicing DNA of animals, his main focus.

By splicing together animals together, they would eventually create the perfect creature. It would be immortal, never needing to breathe or sleep, it would be the absolute pinnacle of evolution, reminding him of Doomsday, the one villain from Superman.

Him, and his ancestors, had all resigned themselves to knowing they would never see that creature, but they all returned to the Root with the knowledge that their descendant would do it. The final result would probably be really ugly or really beautiful, but the stepping stones to it were definitely not pretty or easy to produce.

He set his bookbag by the door and walked to the small kitchen off to the side, his stomach growling as he opened a cupboard and pulled out a box of angel hair pasta and set it on the counter behind him before reaching deeper into the pantry and pulling out a can of tomato sauce. Call it boring or cliché, but spaghetti was amazing and anyone who says otherwise will get a firm reeducation about how it is one of the most underappreciated meals.

After cooking the noodles and warming up the sauce and spooning himself a rather generous helping onto his plate and sitting himself at the small table, he began swirling the noodles around his fork and brought it to his mouth.

But as soon as it reached his mouth, his right hand felt like it was on fire. Choking on the fork and his food, he dropped it grabbing his hand as he fell put of his chair, swearing heavily under his breath. The pain lasted for several seconds, but stopped at the flip of a coin.

" _The fuck just happened?"_ He thought as he looked down at his hand, his stomach jumping into his throat once he saw red. Dyed into his skin, was a vase with two flowing rivers coming from the mouth of the vase.

" _What the hell? What is on my ha-"_ He thought until he remembered what he read earlier that day.

" _ **By marking magi with Command Seals, it grants them the power of being a Master…"**_

" _Me? Why? Just another magus who couldn't care less about the Holy Grail. Especially on the 'I dojt care' part."_ Ezekiel thought bewildered at the Seals. Of the thousands of magi in the world, they picked the person who couldn't care less about it.

" _Damn,"_ He thought as he pushed himself up onto his feet and began pacing his apartment, mindlessly walking through his bedroom, his bathroom, the kitchen, the living room, and then repeat. It was a habit he never grew out of, and it helped him think. And this particular scenario required a lot of long hard thinking.

" _There's no option right now, trying to get rid of the Seals would only mean that I may run into someone dangerous to my health, giving them to someone else is like trying to run an auction where everyone is pointing a gun at each other. I only have the option of fighting, despite the risks."_ He thought as he hummed quietly, crossing past the bookcase for the third time in a row.

" _It's settled."_ He declared to himself as he hit his palm with his fist. _"I will participate in the False Grail War, and either win or be defeated."_ He thought as he walked back to the door and picked up his bag. _"But first, I'm going to need some materials."_

…

 **One Day before the False Grail War; Phoenix Arizona**

" _Now, it's done."_ Ezekiel thought tiredly as he rubbed the bags under his eyes and stared at the blood filled circle before him. He had snuck into a plane heading to Tucson the day after he got the Command Seals, and had rented out small house in the suburbs around twenty miles away from Phoenix. Far enough to stay safe, but close enough to get to the battleground within a convenient time frame.

He guessed he had only slept about four hours total in the last several days. All of the preparations and hypnotizing and safety precautions were getting to him mentally and physically, so he had to do this quick.

He raised his hand, and began to intone the summoning ritual aria.

" _ **Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone. The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg.**_

 _ **The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.**_

 _ **Fill fill fill fill fill**_

 _ **Repeat every five times.**_

 _ **But break once full**_

 _ **I announce,**_

 _ **Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.**_

 _ **In accordance with the coming of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this desire, then answer my call.**_

 _ **Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.**_

 _ **You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O Keeper of the Balance!"**_ Ezekiel finished loudly as the blast that came from the circle sent him stumbling backwards.

He fell onto his back, groaning as he pushed himself back to his feet and looked at the man who now stood in the circle.

He had a face that made him seem youthful, but it lacked the normal brightness of a young person's face. He wore a brown suit with a brown tie, his hair moussed to one side. His face wore an apathetic expression, and he looked unamused by the boy who had fallen over.

"I am Caster, are you my Master?"

…

 _And scene!_

 _Before I go any further, let me explain something important: All of the Servants seen above did in fact exist in one way or another. None of them are pure OCs, as they are based off of real people or are like Jekyll and Hyde, who didn't exist, but their legends got popular enough that they can be summoned._

 _For those that are going to talk about the mechanics I have introduced, remember that there is possibly HUNDREDS of different types of magecrafts in Fate, and there is more variation between them due to a mages personal Origins. The spirit magic Anna has is something I thought up regarding Native American beliefs and how ghosts and wraiths work in Fate, and Solomon's arm is based off of how I believe gem magic could work if merged with Witchcraft._

 _Can you guess who the Servants are? I tried to leave it vague, however some may appear as obvious._

 _Here, for your convenience and as a reward for sticking around and reading this, is a list comprising of what is known about all the Masters and their Servants that we have experienced so far._

…

 _ **Knight Classes**_

 _Sabers Master: Haven "Solomon" Dougal_

 _A freelance magus who was disowned by his family, discovered Command Seals on a corpse and stole them for himself._

 _Magecraft: Witchcraft and Basic Gem Magic. Uses curses and black magic as a offensive and defensive unit, while utilizing his Mystic Code._

 _Origin: Obsidian_

 _Mystic Code: Dark Arm: A arm made out of solid obsidian, its main attack style is shooting needle like projectiles._

 _Servant: A large black haired knight with a bronze greatsword._

…

 _Archers Master: ?_

 _Magecraft: ?_

 _Servant: ?_

…

 _Lancers' Master: Jessiry Ava Kuznetsov_

 _Origin: Splintering_

 _The sixth head of a Russian magi family, she went to study under El Melloi the Second in order to bring out any hidden talent._

 _Magecraft: Transmutation and Alchemy. Her Transmutation abilities are currently unknown, but she states she can create a explosive cocktail capable of taking down a building._

 _Servant; Name is unknown, a Chinese warrior, most likely existed sometime B.C. or before 1400 A.D. at the latest. Wields a large spear and supposedly screamed a man to death._

…

 _ **Calvary Classes**_

 _..._

 _Berserkers' Master: Engel Vogel AKA The Raven_

 _Origin: Manipulating_

 _A powerful crime lord who uses magic to ensure his foothold in the criminal underworld, 60% of the drugs and illegal munitions flowing in and out of Europe are under his control. In order to keep the Mages Association of his back, he also deals in magical goods._

 _Magecraft: Gem magic and Mystic Codes, predominantly firearms shooting gem tipped bullets. Most likely has powerful Hypnotism and Mind Control spells due to his profession._

 _Servant: Is "the murderer", and that is all that is known. Wears furs as clothing with a necklace made of teeth, and has a knife made from bone._

…

 _Assassins' Master: Hugo Eriksson._

 _Origin: Destroying_

 _A man dying of disease, he wants the Holy Grail in order to restart his life. He is receiving help from his friend and apprentice, Adrian._

 _Magecraft: Hypnotism and Bounded Field. As he is only a first generation magus, his abilities are lackluster compared to the other Masters, but his levels of Hypnotism and Bounded Fields could be stronger than he lets on._

 _Servant; Name is unknown, a man who appears to have come from the late 19_ _th_ _to early 20_ _th_ _century based on his clothing. No hint of his abilities have been revealed as of yet._

…

 _Riders' Master: Anna Walks-On-Fire_

 _Origin: Survival_

 _Head of a Native American magi family, she is 23 and is covered in burn marks. She could be considered as a person "turned cold by the world"._

 _Magecraft: Appears to be able to loosely control ghosts to aid her with magic. Possibly has a Reality Marble in the function of a "Spirit World."_

 _Servant: Name is unknown, a Native American man who appears to be in the middle of his life, late 30s at the least and early 50s at the most. Any indication of his abilities are unknown._

…

 _Casters' Master: Ezekiel Boswell_

 _Descended from Gypsies, was brought to the Clock Tower as a boy due to his latent talent. Believes that emotions are a hindrance, and tries to work without them most of the time in decision making._

 _Magecraft: Water magic, primarily in manipulating the water inside of him. Can use it to heal injuries quicker, probe for abnormalities in his body, and strengthen it in a pseudo-Reinforcement technique._

 _Origin: Adapte_

 _Servant: A brown haired and suited man with round glasses who is apathetic to what happens around him._

…

 _ **Misc. Character(s)**_

 _Name: Mr. Blackwood_

 _Bio: A lecturer of the Clock Tower, he developed a friendship with El Melloi some time after he returned from the Holy Grail War. He helped expand Mellois love of video games and helps him in reviewing assignments and the like._

 _Magecraft: Runecraft_

 _Origin: Maintaining_

…

 _Expect probably one more chapter until the War truly begins, as I have to explain how everyone gets to the battleground, who fights first, etc._

 _Peace – Anthem of the Nights_


	2. Chapter 2: Rising

_Well, holy shit. You are here, on the second page of this admittedly clusterfuck of a fanfiction. Like, I'm not adding one new character and maybe a variation of magic we've already seen, I'm adding a bunch of characters with original magecrafts and I have to make sure I'm doing the Servants real life counterpart justice in their abilities and skills._

 _I guess I should be flattered? Yes, that is the appropriate emotion for this situation. So thank you for pushing the_ "Next Page" _button, it warms my heart._

 _Also, give me some shipping ideas! No harems because they're weird, but everything else has no limits!_

 _And I'm wasting your time again, great. Smooth move Ex-Lax, me and my fat mouth._

…

 _My Bones are Black_

…

 **Archer; 9 Months before the False Grail War: London England**

"What?! You have to be shitting me?!" The young head to the Tohsaka yelled loudly, her boyfriend Shirou and El Melloi both grimacing at the screeching coming from the small woman.

It had been almost a entire year since the Fifth Holy Grail War, Rin and Shirou had become a couple, and both were very glad to put the past behind them. Well, that was their plan since before that morning, when Mister Melloi practically forced his way inside saying on how something of massive importance had happened and that they both had to be aware of what it was.

And said bombshell had been the news of the False War happening in the American Southwest. The now borderline hyperventilating Rin was pacing the living room, rubbing her temples while muttering to herself.

Shirou cast a worried glance at his girlfriend, before turning back to the lecturer. "Are you certain?" He asked, hoping that El Melloi would say something along the lines of 'The possibility is borderline impossible and I'm just telling you this because I thought you'd think it interesting.', but his sliver of hope was demolished when El Melloi looked the redhead in the eye.

"The leylines are identical to the Fuyuki lines when they are prepping the Servants and the Holy Grail. _This_ is happening." He stated seriously, Rin stopping her pacing. She put her hand to her chin and began thinking hard, before turning back towards the men.

"You say it's a fake and was based off a real Holy Grail War. Which war was it based off of?" She asked, El Melloi shrugging in reply. "Unfortunately, I don't know that. According to what I have learned, it's a 'net' and can only take energy from the real Holy Grail. Why are you asking?"

"It's because this Grail could also be corrupted! If it's like the one used in the Fuyuki ritual then it could have horrible consequences!" She yelled back, getting more and more annoyed at their collective impassiveness to something as earth shattering as this!

"And if it is indeed corrupted, we need to warn people! They didn't want to listen when we talked about the Fuyuki Grail, but they may be more willing to believe us if we are talking about a copy. We have to try." She declared, Shirou nodding in agreement and El Melloi giving her an approving look.

"Well then, what shall we do?" El Melloi questioned as she sat back down on the couch. She gave him a haughty smirk as she began to explain her plan.

 **3 Months Later**

In the time he had been with Rin, Shirou had started picking up on her tells and mannerisms. The small things you wouldn't notice the first time you saw it but would gradually recognize.

The slightly more effort placed as she walked, the slight downturn of her lips, the ever so slightly tilted spine, all pointed towards one very angry woman had just entered the apartment to a very afraid redhead frying a chicken breast on the stove.

Very, _very,_ angry woman.

"Goddamnit! Bullshit! Those rotten bastards and their stupid…" She muttered as she slammed the door to their apartment shut, before letting out a defeated yell. "Why won't they listen! This could mean the deaths of thousands of people and the possible exposure of magic, and they say 'It's only a possibility Miss Tohsaka. We can't afford to act on a _maaaayyyyybeeeeeee_ created by a random magus'." She finished, mocking a man's voice before settling herself down at the table, growling at everything around her.

"Ano-another unsuccessful attempt Rin-chan?" He asked fearfully, doing everything he could to avoid his girlfriend's fiery gaze.

"What ever do you mean Shirou? I think it went splendid!" She stated with heavy sarcasm thrown into her yelling. "They keep on acting like if the town blows off the map, nothing that will possibly damage them could happen! Despite the fact that all I'm asking for is for an investigation of the Fake Grail to see if it's corrupted! It may take a lot of effort or people but it will be better in the long run for everyone!" She yelled while throwing her arms around in anger, mocking the action of punching and wringing someone's neck.

Shirou, his instincts telling him to tread very carefully in his next reply, briefly turned around from the stove. "We can't give up. We have to make sure the Fake Grail isn't corrupted, and if it is we have to destroy it." He declared forcefully, making it very clear that he meant every word.

Rin was going to reply, most likely with a reply on how cliché Shirou was sounding, but all was put on hold when they heard someone knocking on the door, and a voice that belonged to someone that she would rather be on a tour of the Different Types of Concrete used in London than talk to.

"Shero! Oh _Sheerrroooo_!" The unmistakable voice of one Luviagelita Edelfelt singsonged from the other side of the door, Rin cringing while growling and Shirou feeling every part of his body pucker up.

"What do you want you Finnish prick!" Rin yelled through the door, Shirou sheepishly transferring the chicken to a plate with a paper towel on it to soak up extra oil.

"Oh my, Tohsaka! Saying such vulgar words to someone who may have something that would interest you? How cruel." The Finnish magus replied mocking heartbreak, probably acting like she had been shot through the chest while she was at.

"Nothing you have could ever possibly interest me you witch!"

"Not even something to do with the False Grail that you seem keen on destroying?" Luvia replied, knowing she had both of their attention hook, line, and sinker. Rin, restraining a yell, opened the door to a smirking Luvia, who curtsied with her dress and stepped inside the apartment, Rin restraining her desire to punch Luvia in her smug face.

Luvia sat herself down at the small dinner table, Rin sitting to her left and giving her a look that screamed 'Spill it', and indulged them. "I know all about how you two have been trying to get someone to investigate the False Grail to see if it's 'corrupted', and I have a way for you to check it out firsthand." She said mockingly as she slipped off her right glove, Command Seals burned into her hand in the shape of a flowers petals.

Rin and Shirou collectively gasped and Shirou could be heard cursing under his breath. "Ho-how did you get Command Seals?!" Rin demanded, Luvia shrugging and putting on a shit eating grin.

"The Holy Grail only chooses the most suitable of magi for the Holy Grail War, why would the False Grail be any different?" She said smugly as she slipped her glove back on.

Shirou threw off his apron and sat opposite of Luvia. "But, if you're a Master why would you come to your rival and her partner?"

"Because," Luvia replied with her arms crossed and her nose pointed to the ceiling. "If the False Grail is indeed corrupted, I don't want some filthy, half-assed wish. I want the real deal, and you both seem keen on investigating it. It's a win-win, I get to know if my wish will be corrupt, and you'll get to satisfy your curiosity."

"So what do you say, Rin?" She asked smugly, gloating in the anger coming from the brunette. "Will you help me help you?"

Rin looked like she was about to rip Luvias' arm off, beat her to death with it, and then shove said arm up her ass, but after several seconds that felt like hours to the one small mouse caught in the middle of the female lions staredown, that mouse being Shirou, she eventually sighed and lowered her head in defeat.

If the Grail was corrupted and people died because she couldn't put her pride aside, she would never forgive herself. So, for this once, she was going to admit defeat to her rival.

"Yes," She said sadly. "I will help you, help us." She finished sadly, earning a gasp from Shirou and Luvia giggling in victory.

"Then it's settled then!" Luvia declared as she stood up and pointed her finger at the two. "You both are going to help me prepare and fight in the False Grail War! I hope you are both prepared to lay down your lives for me." She taunted as she turned back to the door, smirking all the while. "If you still have the courage to join me, come to my manor in three days time. Ta-ta~!" The boisterous blonde called out as she closed the door. Rin leaped up and ran to the door before throwing it open.

"Trust me you mediocre excuse for a magus! As soon as we find out if the False Grail is corrupted or not we are out of there in a heartbeat! You hear me!" Rin yelled down the hallway towards the Edelfelts' fast disappearing form.

"Stupid cow." Rin grumbled after she slammed the door, turning around with a look that made Shirou flinch. Why was his girlfriend so damn terrifying?

"So, um," Shirou began. "What should we do first?" He asked, trying to be helpful.

"First, you finish cooking. Second, we figure out what we're going to do with Luvia." Rin said as she sighed, yelling at your rival did hell for your lungs. "So get back to cooking lover boy." She said playfully, deciding that the 'Luvia Situation' could wait a little while longer.

 **Four Days Later; The Edelfelt Manor**

A silver filled magic circle glowed dimly in the moonlight that passed through the iron wrought windows of the Workshop of Luviageltia Edelfelt. Eight gems were placed in the eight directions, the air heavy with tension as the magus stared at the circle.

"Luvia," Rin suddenly said. "We have something to confess." She said, Shirou stiffening beside her. Both of them has decided to reveal Avalon to Luvia, despite the fact that was probably the biggest trump card they had against enemy magi and there was a big risk in revealing it to anyone in general, especially Rin's rival, but this was their biggest chance for victory if they used it as a catalyst.

"Do not fret Tohsaka, whatever thing you want to confess can wait." Luvia replied without turning around. "I have only several minutes before I hit my peak, and I have a very powerful catalyst." She said confidentially, before she raised her arm and pointed at the window.

"This catalyst is older than anything I could find, and the powerful heroes linked to it are limitless. And best of all, it won't cost me a single pound." She explained proudly, Rin's jaw hitting the floor.

"You want to use the MOON as a catalyst?! That's insane!" Shirou yelled, Rin still trying to recover from the fact that her rival may actually be completely nuts. There's a lot of strange catalysts out there, hell she still had the necklace Archer gave to her during the Fifth War which was from a possible future and Shirou had Excalibur's sheathe inside of his stomach, but using a celestial body! Was that even possible?

"Oh calm yourselves, I'm not going to use the entire moon as a catalyst!" Luvia said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm only using the reference of the moonlight. Look," she pointed at the circle. "Silver is often associated with the moon, and the fact that I'm doing this on the night of the full moon? It's bound to bring forth a powerful warrior capable of winning the False Grail."

"B-but Luvia!" Shirou pleaded, but had been ignored by the Edelfelt.

" _It is time."_ She thought as she raised her gloveless hand and began intoning the ritual chant.

" **The material is of silver and iron. The foundation is of stone and the Grand Duke of the Treaty. The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg.**

 **The wind becomes a barrier. Close the gates, exit the crown, go down the path from the kingdom**

 **Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill**

 **Repeat five times**

 **But break once complete**

 **I declare**

 **You leave everything to me, my fate leaves everything to your sword.**

 **For the Grail, answer if you follow this will and desire**

 **The vow is here. I am the goodness of the whole world. I oppose the evil of the whole world.**

 **You are one of the seven, clad in three words of strength. Come, from the circle of deterrence, Guardian of the Scales!"** Luvia finished triumphantly, smoke billowing from the circle and filling the room.

A woman was now crouched low in the circle, a pale blue cloak covering her form. Platinum blonde hair cascaded from her head like a waterfall, when she raised her head and Luvia looked into her eyes, two gleaming sapphire like eyes looked back.

The Servant smiled as he stood up to her full height, revealing that she was far taller than the rooms residents, easily beating Shirou by at least a foot. Underneath her cloak was simple leather armor accompanied by fingerless gloves that went up to her elbows and matched her cloak. She remained silent, before walking towards Luvia until the Edelfelt had to crane her neck to look the Servant in the eye.

"I, am the Servant Archer." She said with a powerful voice that radiated through the room. "Is this," She took a second to inspect Luvia. " _girl_ my Master?" She finished proudly.

"Yes, I am your Master." Luvia replied unwavering, Archer catching her off guard when the giantess began laughing joyfully.

"My my, how formal! There is no need for that with me, I may have been a queen, but formalities are for arrogant and lazy men who have never tested their steel on a battlefield. What shall I call you, little blue?" Archer asked, still laughing with great mirth.

"My-my name is Luviageltia Edelfelt! And you shall call me Luvia when not in battle, where you shall address me as Master." She backed up and gestured towards the rooms other two occupants. "Those are my assistants for the upcoming battles, Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya."

"We aren't your assistants! You just wanted to drag us along to see if the Grails corrupted!"

Archer raised an eyebrow. "Corruption? What do you mean by that? Is the Holy Grail corrupted by dark magic?"

Rin sighed, and replied to Archer. "It's a long story, so we better sit down."

 **Berserker; Fifteen Hours After Summoning**

There was no end to his enemies, as soon as he killed one a hundred more took their place, but He didn't mind. His own body was bloody and every joint was screaming in pain as He wrenched the sword from the body and resumed the slaughter.

The trees, the stones, they would be the only witnesses to the armies fall that night, long after the blood had dried and the bodies returned to the earth, they would bear the scars of the blades chipping their bodies, the arrows boring holes into the trunks, the blood serving as corrupted nutrition.

At the center of this horde, was a Man soaked in more blood than one would think possible, His eyes filled with indescribable rage. His arm had been broken and twisted around, but the one remaining still served purpose in separating those unfortunate enough to be in his path's heads from their bodies.

The hours rushing by like seconds as He killed more and more. Eventually, the Troops were thinning, Their morale hitting it's lowest point as they saw the mountains of corpses that He had created. The Men would die and history would forget about the Army that vanished that night.

Only the trees, the stones, and the Killer would remember. For He never forgets, He never will forget His Kills, for They are what made Him, _Him_. Even though He remembered Them, Their deaths didn't weigh on Him or His conscience. What weighed on Him was a simple question.

If He remembered Them, would They remember Him?

…

Vogel shot up in his bed, sweat glistening his forehead as he tried to wrap his head around the strange dream. It had to be one of Berserkers' memories, but that didn't make sense with his legend at all. He hadn't killed an entire army in life, how could they're have even been another group of humans so large during Berserker's era? It was making his head hurt from trying to make sense of it all, and decided to chalk it up to his mind overreacting with the new link and exaggerating some details.

He looked at his body, his sleepwear completely soaked in sweat and would have to be washed before he even considered wearing it again unless he wanted to smell like death itself. He briefly remembered the person who would help him when he woke up screaming and shaking, how they would hold him close and tell him that he was okay.

But they were gone, he had buried them right alongside their father underneath a spring sky, and had wept for days on end, begging for them to come back. Only when his sister came for him and quite literally slapped some sense into him did he get the willpower to keep fighting, to keep clawing through this shitty world until only he remained.

He looked across his large bedroom as he heard someone jiggling the doorknob, his hand instinctively reaching underneath his pillow for the familiar grip of his grandfather's Luger P08, but the door popped open before he could reach it.

"Dad!"

Vogel breathed out a sigh of relief that he was slow in the morning, if he had been any faster he would have just pointed a WW1 era handgun at an eight year old. If his sister or his son's sitter figured out that had happened, he would have to be behind a steel vault door reinforced to the maximum if he wanted to last ten minutes before they ripped through it and tore him a new one.

"Good morning Cormac, what are you doing up? It's only…" He briefly glanced at the clock and almost cursed when he read that it was past eleven. _"Mein Gott, how much energy am I using to maintain Berserker? Perhaps I should have summoned him closer to the time of battle?"_ He thought as he peeled the blankets from his body and resisted falling backwards as Cormac ran across the room and leaped at his chest, knocking the wind out of him. Father and son laughed as Cormac untangled himself from his dad and sat on his knees.

"Come on Dad, get up! You said we couldn't open my circuits because you had to 'prepare for something extremely important!'" Cormac mimicked his father's deep voice. "But that super important thing was yesterday! So please please _please_ can we do it today?" He clasped his hands together as he begged his dad.

Vogel laughed lightly as he reached up to ruffle his sons red hair, Cormac pouting as he smoothed his normally straight hair back down. "Tell you what, give me several minutes, and an admittedly very late breakfast, and I promise I'll be right up faster than you can say _kummerspeck_!" Vogel announced grandly, a genuine smile gracing his young face.

Cormac giggled and crawled to the edge of the bed and slid himself off the bed onto his feet, then ran to the door. "You better hurry!" He called out before closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door latches shut, Vogel's smile automatically dropped, before looking to a patch of wall next to the doorway. "Berserker, show yourself."

"The hell do you want Master?" Berserker growled as he materialized next to the door, his knife tucked into a makeshift holster on his side. "Your homes defended, your kid is happy, your sister is acting bitchy, and your sitter threw a fit when Cormac accidentally stained his shirt. Was that what you wanted? Or are you so eager to try out your Servant that I'm going to have to dress you?" The Servant of Madness finished with a glare at his Master. "Well, answer me!"

"Quiet Berserker, I need to make sure you are who you claim to be." Vogel stated blankly as he stood up from his bed and dropped his clothing on the floor. "I had a dream, of you killing a entire army. Last time I checked, you only killed one person. Care to explain?"

Berserker gave him a confused look. "I have zero clue what you're talking about. In life, I killed someone dear to me in a fit or rage, which resulted in me gaining aptitude for Berserker and Assassin. I definitely didn't kill an army in a night. You going insane or-?" He let the question hang in the air.

Vogel scoffed as he slipped on a simple dress shirt and buttoned it. "I am perfectly sane, more sane than others I've found." He shot a look at Berserker, despite his impassiveness, who flinched. "You would do well to show the proper respect, otherwise I'll order you to die and I will summon another Servant or steal one from a different Master." He finished as he slipped on a pair of black slacks and white tennis shoes and passed the still frozen Berserker.

Berserker stood in that position for another minute, before smiling. _"That look, that piercing gaze that stares into your soul and rips it to shreds. The look of a man who won't show a sliver of mercy to those he detests or pisses him off."_ He began to laugh, for he was more than happy, he was overjoyed. For he had found not just a killer, but someone he could be proud to call them his descendant, someone who was even more human than anyone else.

A killer…

…

 **Lancer: Twelve hours After Summoning**

Alarms, the bane of all existence. They're loud, annoying, and force you to experience the monotony of daily life. They come in many forms, loud sounds, bright lights, anxious children, horny spouses.

"Master, it has reached dawn. We should prepare for the days events and plans." Lancer's booming voice said at the tangled up mess of blankets and limbs known as Jessiry Ava Kuznetsov.

In this case, it was a Chinese warlord who wouldn't tolerant her Master's normally lazy lifestyle.

Damn you family connections, you couldn't have picked a lazier Heroic Spirit or one who doesn't care about whether their Master has a slightly above average sleeping schedule.

A loud groan emanated from the tangle, moving itself slightly to reveal a set of eyes filled with so much hatred, Zeltrech would think twice in aggravating the beast. "I was sleeping." Jessiry said with as much malice as she could muster, which for a teenage girl who just woke up, wasn't much.

"And now you're awake, and there isn't any functional purpose in laying around all day." Lancer replied stoically.

"Buttface." Jessiry said lazily as she forced herself to sit up, blowing a few stray strands of hair out of her face as she looked at her Servant, her eyes widening like saucers when she saw what the Servant was wearing. She was wearing skin tight leggings that framed her toned legs, and a dark blue tank top that revealed way too much sideboob that anyone who resisted staring at were probably insane.

"Making a defamatory claim about my physical features won't help you fall back asleep. So I recommend you prepare yourself for the day." Lancer replied, unaware that her Master was staring a hole into her. "I will give you a moment of privacy to change, try to be quick." She said bluntly as she faded into Spirit Form.

"…" Jessiry was still making a wonderful fish impression, and her face was flushed to unbelievable levels. She was bisexual, had known that was fact for years, but her experience with actually seeing both sexes bodies was slim to none.

A Playboy she would sneak past people who disapproved of her looking at that stuff was about all her experience with feminine and masculine bodies was literally it, and seeing it in person? She was definitely getting warmer in her-" _Wait what the shit! No, bad! Bad thoughts be gone! Be gone I say!"_

A few quick smacks to her cheeks to wake her up all the way, she stood up, stretching as much as she could, a few bones popping into place. She staggered over to a small linen closet that had been provided for the room, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a grey tank top.

Whoever said that a day filled with activity meant that you would have a deep sleep and wake up refreshed was a big fat liar, because her circuits had been completely drained and she slept like the dead, yet she still felt like ass.

Slipping the black t-shirt she wore to bed onto the floor, she hurriedly dressed herself and exited the hotel room, she made it hallway down the hallway before she mentally groaned and turned on her heel to get her glasses. The prescription was so slight that half the time she didn't notice, but better safe than sorry as they say.

Now out of the hotel, she looked down the crowed street and pursed her lips as she remembered the battle that was going to take place in only several weeks. Despite the fact that her Servant was literally right behind her in Spirit Form, she still hadn't really come to terms that she was about to be in a life or death fight for a copy of an omnipotent wish granting device.

Wait, Grail, battle… _"Shit!"_ She completely forgot that she was supposed to register for the battle! Damn it! Now she had to completely change her last minute plans that she had only thought up of because her insanely hot Servant was wearing next to nothing that morning!

" _Okay, registering shouldn't take long. A half hour at the most, which leaves me plenty of time to execute my plans and scout out the area."_ She thought with a nod. _"Now, where the hell is the church?"_

…

 **Saber and Lancer: Pre Battle Greetings**

In the city of Phoenix, there was the downtown, and there was the ghetto that surrounded it. Most of the state was in this condition, cheap ancient housing was common, while buildings twenty years or younger were rare.

The city seemed to influence the people, unemployment and crime wasn't high, but it wasn't low. There was still plenty of drug dealers and whores. Some of which weren't even adults yet tragically. That's why when they saw a man in his mid twenties wearing a black jacket and a girl who was probably only seventeen wearing a tank top and gray jacket go into an alley, they just assumed that it was a girl and her client. Or a drug dealer selling his product. Or both.

If you told them that they were two magi in a secret war about to talk about where the two of them stood in the battle, they would have accused you of hitting the crack pipe too hard.

Jessiry and Haven walked until they were both sure no one could see, before standing just out of arms reach and narrowed their eyes at each other. "A kid is a Master? Well shit, there goes my strategy straight into the drain." Haven said, half amused and half pissed.

"What? Were you planning on killing the Masters while your Servant distracted them?" Jessiry growled as she shoved her slim finger into Haven's chest. "Coward."

"There is a fine line between intelligence and cowardice, girl." Haven growled. "You are very, _very_ , lucky we aren't in a battleground right now, because otherwise," He slapped her finger way, his eyes hardening to a point they could cut diamond. "Your arm would be gone, and not even you, a Kuznetsov could reattach it." He growled, his hand subconsciously reaching to take off his right glove, before restraining the urge.

Jessiry paled slightly, but reached into her jacket pocket and began fiddling with something inside it. "If you know who I am, then you know the fact that even severed limbs are barely a hindrance to the most powerful healing magi in Russia." She said confidentially, preparing to give the man in front of her a taste of her _Sphaera Ferro_.

"Really? A duel? Now? Unless you want everyone in the entire damn city to know, keep it in your pants because I'm not in the mood for a dick measuring contest." He said as he turned on his heel and walked back out of the alley.

"Go do whatever the hell you want for the next couple weeks, but be prepared to get attacked any day after the other Masters appear." He said ominously as he walked back towards the street, before stopping and slapping his forehead.

"Christ, you aren't registered yet, are you?" He asked, and groaned when Jessiry only glared back. "Of course, because my day couldn't be any shittier." He groaned loudly before stomping back to Jessiry with his head low, raising his pinkie and offering it out. "If you agree to a non aggression pact until the battle begins, I'll take you to the Church. Promise?" He said with a serious voice despite the fact that he was grown man offering a teenager a pinkie promise.

Jessiry bit the inside of her cheek, before she carefully brought her pinkie up and locked their fingers. "Fine, we won't show any aggression to each other until the war starts, in exchange for you to bring me to the Church." She pulled her finger back and crossed her arms. "Now, fill your end of the deal."

Haven cringed before he started walking. "This is going to suck twice as much as the first time." He grumbled under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all, don't worry about it."

…

In Phoenix, there was very few little churches like those in most places, there was a massive church organization that had several buildings all throughout the Valley, but there was still a few small churches here and there.

And, tucked in between two empty buildings that had been built in the 60s, was a small white church. It only filled up about a quarter of the acre of ground it was on, and several boards on the sides had rotted away and had been repaired patchwork like with wooden two by fours.

Haven seemed to be hesitant to enter, and only when Saber reminded him about the rules the Overseer has to follow and that he was a freelance magus, plus Jessiry called him a coward again. That girl really was way to good at guilt tripping someone, painfully so.

They walked up to the double door, Jessiry rapping it with her knuckles. Several quiet seconds later, and one of the doors ominously swung open.

"Oh fuck that!" Haven said loudly as he turned a complete 180° and started walking down the steps as Jessiry grabbed him by the collar.

"You aren't just flat out leaving me you prick! You're going to introduce to the Overseer, then and only then is our agreement over!" She yelled as Haven clawed at his collar, trying to avoid being strangled. "Oh no! The door was open! Big deal you giant baby!"

"I don't think you understand the situation girl! Do they not have horror movies in Russia, or did you live a very sheltered life?" He choked out until he was able to escape her grasp, coughing all the while. "As I was saying, so do they not have horror movies in Russia? Because this is some Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street bullshit right here! Ominous building's doors swing open when you knock is textbook definition of something bad inside, and by all the knowledge I obtained from Scooby Doo, I am turning the hell around!"

The Servants briefly materialized to pull their Masters apart, offering sympathy to each other as they untangled the two magi.

"Forgive my Master, he's a bit of a prick." Saber apologized with as much of a bow he could manage with his Master trying to escape from his grip.

"I hope you can forgive my Master's actions as well, she is fairly naïve." Lancer replied as her own Master began to punch her in the stomach, cursing loudly as her knuckles didn't leave a dent.

The still open door was suddenly opened entirely, exposing the building's occupant the image of a dark knight's cheek being pulled by a man, and a woman wearing the armor of a Chinese general holding a teenager against her side as the girl struggled while trying to keep her glasses on simultaneously.

Those on the buildings steps only saw a girl wearing a nuns robes staring at them quizzically, Haven in particular flinching when her yellow eyes passed over him as she flung her silver hair over her shoulder. "I assume that you are one of the Masters?" She asked Jessiry, who Lancer set on her feet and dusted her off.

"Yes, I am here to register myself as the Master of Lancer, it is nice to meet you, Miss-?" "My name is Caren." "Miss Caren, you are the Overseer of the war?" She asked, not understanding why the man had acted like they were about to stare down Evil incarnate.

"Obviously. Do you require anything else?" She said, getting right to the point.

Jessiry, still salty over the rude response, shook her head. "Nothing else ma'am."

Caren smiled. "Then welcome to the first and possibly last False Grail War. Rejoice, for your one desire shall become true." She said grandly with a flourish of her hand, smiling in a way that Jessiry's skin crawl.

…

"How young was she? She barely looks like she's hit her teens!" Jessiry asked Haven, who was lost in thought.

"Wha-? Oh! Yeah I have no clue, when I came here she wasn't wearing the robe, it was a lot more… _revealing_ , and when I commented on it she, _bound me_." He said shivering. He was going to have nightmares about red cloth trying to eat him for the rest of his life, creepy little nun.

"Anywhore, we have a non aggression pact until the War starts, and I-"

"And? There is no and in the agreement, we aren't allies and you better watch your head once the War begins, because your Servant is as good as dea-"

" _And_ , I know this awesome burger place run by this little old couple. You can feel your arteries clogging up as you eat it, and if you die because of the battle happening before you try it I will never forgive myself." Haven said unfazed, Jessiry gawking at the request.

"What?! You want to bring me to a burger joint when we're going to be at each other's throats, are you insane?!"

"Most likely, but come on! We gotta live a little just in case we die horribly, so too bad, so sad." Haven proclaimed as he threw the Russian over his shoulder and marching forward.

"Lancer! Help me!" She cried, Lancer briefly materializing in front of Haven, blocking his path. She suddenly bowed low, and replied in a stoic voice.

"I advise following along with his plans Master."

"WHAT!"

"I sense no hostility from this man, and Saber notified me that if his Master attempts to break the pact he himself will strike his Master down. I recommend you take his advice and indulge in pleasures before the battle begins Master." Lancer said blankly, Jessiry growling before she repeatedly began hitting Haven's side with partially reinforced fists.

"Thank you Lancer, and sweetheart," He looked back at Jessiry. "I have stronger Reinforcement magic, and more prana than you by default. So just sit tight and enjoy the ride." Haven said chuckling.

…

 **?**

Caren breathed a sigh of relief once they left, glad that the pain in her chest was somewhat alleviated. Ever since she had replaced Father and Grandfather before him as Overseer of the Grail, and then stationed in this strange town, in this strange state, in this strange country that walking around in would cause an ache all over her body.

There was no demons here, no evil spirits that needed an exorcism, it was just the very ground of this state was soaked in blood. The country was born from tyranny, and had had a foothold in wars that stretched across the globe, had slaughtered innocent people to claim more territory, that much blood couldn't simply vanish.

The priests that raised her told her that since we are all children of Adam, that we come into this world sinners, and the people of this place were no different. Their forefathers had washed their hands in blood, and the stains remained. That was why she had the church temporarily closed to the public, that's why she planned on discouraging the Master's to immediately seek shelter here. The pain, the pain was growing and spreading like a virus through her body, it hurt so much-

"Miss Hortensia! The doctor ordered you to try and rest as much as possible!" A woman's voice worriedly called out from the back room of the church. Caren lifted her head and saw the dark haired woman running towards her, catching her in her arms.

Picking up the exorcist bridal style, she began stiffly walking to the back room, intent on laying the foolish girl back to bed for rest. Caren looked up at the woman's worried expression, at the cross shaped scar burned into her forehead. She claimed it helped save her life once, and Caren understood what she meant.

Of all people, she would know best that pain can save someone's life.

…

 _Oh mai! Things happened this chapter! Lots of things that involve canon!_

 _So Luvia, Forklift Lady is the Master of a GIANT WOMAN AKA Archer, and she managed to guilt trip Rin and Shirou into working alongside her. The classic 'If you don't a bunch of people may die', works every time._

 _And Caren is here! In pain because America, for those that don't know American history, is soaked in blood. Counting ever war, skirmish, battle, and full on attacks against the natives, it would be weird to think that someone in tune with feeling evil through pain, Caren, wouldn't feel something from being here. Especially in Arizona, which was a battleground during the Mexican war and the setting to really monumental gunfights, such as the O.K. Corral._

 _Also, who was the mysterious woman who helped Caren? I can hear you all imitating Yoda's "Hmmmmmm" sound, and that answer is for you to not know and for me to dangle above your heads._

 _Fun Fact: I was debating on whether to put Doc Holliday as Archer originally. Yep, he would have resembled the Val Kilmer who played him in Tombstone, which is an AMAZING Western btw, and would've had essentially Billy the Kid's fighting style on steroids because he would have been in the state where his legend originated. I decided he would have probably been too overpowered, and replaced him with the Archer you saw at the beginning of the chapter._

 _And here's all we know about Luvia and Archer!_

…

 **Archer**

 _Name: Luviageltia Edelfelt_

 _Specializes in Jewel Magecraft , and is an expert in the use of the Gandr shooting curse and in Reinforcement Magecraft. She is also trained in the England-original Lancashire-style of martial combat. Usually wears a blue dress, the sleeves of said dress are optional attachments that can be easily and quickly removed in times of battle. She is also receiving assistance from Rin Tohsaka, and Shirou Emiya, the latter of which possess a Reality Marble._


	3. Chapter 3: War:Voyna:Háború

_Funnily enough, I'm actually writing this before writing the second chapter. I already finished the part with Archer and Luvia, so all that's left is the fluffy bits with Berserker's Master and his son, then the bit with Saber and Lancer's Masters and then the super vague thing with Caren. Man, if I kill off Vogel, not saying I will, but anything goes in a Grail War, I'm going to really hate myself for breaking Cormac's heart._

 _Also, for people who like intro music and stuff in fics, I made up a small list of songs I think fit this story really well._

 _Sacred Lie – Disturbed_

 _A World So Cold (Mudvayne cover) – Vitamin String Quartet_

 _Immortalized – Disturbed_

 _Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin_

…

 _The Flesh Is Brittle_

…

 **Ten Hours Before The False Grail War**

…

 **Saber**

"Damn." Solomon muttered as he looked through the hacked security cameras in the hotel room he had 'purchased', his leg bouncing unknowingly. He rubbed his fingers through his hair as he reached for the remote to pause the recording with his other hand, rewinded the recording, pausing as a small group passed by the camera.

"So it's starting tonight?" Saber asked, materializing as he looked at the screen. On screen was an "airport" according to the Grail's knowledge that now rested in his mind. The video had been frozen on a small group that the wandering knight got three very different feelings about than he would a regular person.

One was a Japanese girl with dark brown hair that went almost to her waist, wearing a red button up shirt with a black skirt and leggings, looking rather pissed off at something, or someone. He mentally tagged her as 'Brunette'.

The next looked Japanese, but his bright red hair indicated he wasn't purely Asian. He was holding several suitcases without any complaints, trying to talk to Brunette, most likely trying to calm her down. Saber decided to call him 'Apron Strings', based on the fact that he was probably a lover of Brunette, although he could be a close friend or distant relative, perhaps a bodyguard? 'Redhead' was better suited until they got more information.

The final person was a European woman with blonde, drill like hair with large blue ribbons, wearing an extravagant blue dress, she was without a doubt a noble or blue blood of the Association. 'Dress' kind of resembled Brunette in a way, in terms of their figure and facial build, relatives? Maybe, a big maybe.

"Hmmmmmm, hey! That's the Edelfelt heir!" Solomon pointed out, snapping his fingers as he remembered. "I hunted down the old heir's former apprentice a few years back, and while we were discussing the terms of the contract a little girl wandered into the office." _"Well she was like 15 or something. Sheesh, I'm barely 26 and I'm already calling a girl that's only around six or seven years younger than me 'little'. Root, I'm acting like I'm 90 or some shit."_

…

"You aren't stiffing me Edelfelt, I won't do shit unless you give me what I want." A younger, beardless Solomon growled at the older man.

Tarmo Edelfelt betrayed his name's meaning by a mile, instead of being filled with vigor and energy, he was probably filled with horseshit. "You come into my home and demand from me! I've already offered plenty of compensation for this, this," He struggled to find his words.

"Don't kid yourself by softening the words with some other meaning! This is an assassination plain and fucking simple!" Solomon yelled back, standing up fast enough to knock his leather chair to the floor, slamming his palms down as he leaned over the gem mage. "You know what I want, you know you can get it, so unless you want your research to be spread up and down over the underworld you _will_ get me the bodies of those killed in the Salem witch trials!"

"What need would you have for centuries old corpse of the one third-rate magus killed in that entire damned trial! Merely asking for such irrelevant objects will damage my reputation, and for you to want it is-"

"Complete insanity." Solomon finished as he removed himself from the desk and picked up his chair. "If it's so insane of a request, then it shouldn't be an issue to obtain it." He said cynically as he sat down.

Tarmo sighed heavily, his mouth opening to speak until the door opened suddenly, both men turning to the door looking like they just got caught doing something wrong. Standing in the doorway was a young teen girl wearing a extravagant blue dress with ribbons in her strangely designed hair. Her hair and eyes were a spitting image of her father's, but that's about as far as the similarities went.

"Father? I heard yelling and I thought your business deal went bad. Do we need to throw out the trash before it stinks up the house?" She asked, smirking at the now annoyed Solomon.

"Say that again, _reeaal_ slow." He said neutrally, giving the teen a look that could make flowers wilt, and given the fact that he's a witch, it probably could. "Right to my face and we'll see how long you last." He said as he reached into his jackets pocket and pulled out a small black sphere, no bigger than a marble, and began rubbing it in between his fingers.

"Do you mean to attack the next heir to the Edelfelt family, a long and proud line of magi, in said family's home whilst being in front of the current head Solomon?" Tarmo asked dangerously, Solomon smirking in reply.

"No. It's a way to sweeten the deal." He dropped the marble on the desk, which bounced once but overall remained still. "That little marble is called a _Reservoir_ , it is essentially one of those gems you have on steroids, capable of storing a lot more energy all thanks to several hexes and curses. I nicked it from my old family's home before they kicked me out." He interlocked his fingers and placed them in his lap, smirking at the fishlike look on Edelfelt's face.

"Your apprentice shall be…" He looked out of the corner of his eye at the teen, his smirk growing as he continued. "Completely wiped from existence, your research shall be recovered, and you'll get something made by the descendants of the Student of Solomon, all in exchange for one measly corpse? Sounds like a bargain to me." He said as he stood up and walked out of the doorway, but suddenly poked his head back in

"Oh, and be patient with playing with your new toy. It is bound to my blood, so if anyone, in this completely hypothetical scenario that would be you, tries to fiddle with it…well let's just say that it means you give everything around you a absolutely lovely paint job of vermilion. _Ciao_!" He said grinning with a wave before he was gone in a flash.

Tarmo looked at the object on his desk with skepticism, but stayed his hand away from what could be a magical explosive in its current state, before standing up with a barely detectable grimace as he felt his knees pop. "Ah, Luvia! I was planning on seeing you after my…business with that man." He said before flinching at the glare his daughter launched at him.

"A assassination! What the hell are you doing associating with dogs like him! A mindless killer who exists for a paycheck, disgracing his gift of magecraft as a mere means to an end! This house feels dirty because a blemish like that was in these hallways." Luvia growled at her father, who barely reacted and began emotionlessly explaining his position.

"My former apprentice stole valuable research, endangering both of our positions in the Association. He is as you say, a tool, a means to an end. You are correct in that he is a blemish, but isn't it best if the vermin kill vermin? Now, if you'll excuse me daughter, I must prepare to unearth a dead body." He said sternly stepping past the fuming teen.

" _Why?"_ Luvia thought with disbelief. _"Why would anyone desire to even speak with a spellcaster who kills for money?"_

…

"That, is a little strange my Master." Saber said, Haven jerking his head back with a scowl.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean Saber?"

"It is strange that you nearly forgot to eat this morning, a basic necessity for humans, yet you remember a woman from years ago? An underage one as well." Saber said laughing. "Was I summoned by a lolicon?"

"Okay hold the fuck up!" Haven jumped up from the couch and shoved his finger in Saber's face. "I ain't no damn pedophile! I just have a knack for remembering woman's faces, completely normal for a 26 year old man who gets laid often!" Haven screeched, his voice cracking.

"Sure you do Master, what reason would I have to not believe you? It's not like we have pretty much the same personality and I know that I could never sleep with someone unless I gave a barwench a pretty penny and some very, how do you say it, 'cheesy pick up lines'." Saber said mockingly, leaning back and holding his arms up nonchalantly.

Haven growled while blushing, before turning around and sticking his nose up in the air. "They only say that the Servant is the most compatible with the Master, so perhaps they paired a dolt who had to pay for sex with a complete sex machine!" He said accompanied by a quick thrust of his hips, Saber sighing and curling his fingers into his hair.

" _Why is it that him of all people is similar to my personality? I desire the Grail for my king, and he desires revenge against the people who birthed him."_ Saber watched as Haven thrust his hips twice, before stretching his arms over his head. _"At least he is in this battle willingly,"_ Saber thought as his Master walked to the mini fridge in the corner, his hand wrapped in bandages to conceal the Command Seals. _"It would be rotten luck if my Master was pulled into this ab invito_ * _."_

Haven pulled out a water bottle and tried squeezing the top off, but failed. Growling at the condensation of the bottle, he held the water bottle at arms length while the fingers of his prosthetic sharpened to mimic knives.

Saber, sighing, stopped his Master's arm from cutting the bottle before taking it from Haven's hand and twisting it off in a flash. Holding the bottle out, he asked. "Does everything you do have to be perverted or violent?"

"Hah! That mentality is why I'm sitting here Saber!"

…

*= Latin for "unwillingly"

…

 **Caster: 8 Hours Before The False Grail War**

When Ezekiel summoned a Servant, he expected either a knight or king of sorts, or a wizard or witch. He expected either to see a big guy wearing steel sharpening a sword or someone chanting with a book in their hands, doing something that would bring up the thought of arguably the most powerful type of familiar one could get.

However, when he woke up that morning, he saw Caster sitting on a chair with his legs crossed underneath him, reading. It wasn't a tome or spellbook, it was a copy of _The Hobbit_ that Ezekiel had brought along with him from England.

"An intriguing view of fantasy, but still retains the ancient representations." Caster commented as he closed the book gently. "For example, elves are still the 'holier than thou' creatures that have been shown throughout history, and the main character encountered a cursed object that help the protagonists party in their quest. I was expecting Thorin to claim the ring should be his, in the delusions of grandeur he created." He looked at Ezekiel.

"When was this book published? I doubt I would have ignored such a interesting piece of literature if I was alive when they published it." Caster asked, Ezekiel racking his memories.

"I believe that book was released close to 1940, give or take several years. You were already dead when it was released." Ezekiel replied stoically as he walked to the chair opposite of Caster. "But, as much as I would enjoy discussing literature with you, we are in a war as of last night when I summoned you. So it would be in our benefit to discuss the strategy we should use."

Caster put the book down, and leaned over the table and looked his Master in the eye, searching for something in his expression. "Intriguing, I am proficient in seeing people's true personality at a glance, but you remind me of myself in that I see nothing. No obvious fear I can pick up, nor can I deduce just what you would do if someone was holding you down with a knife against your throat. You are what psychologists would search for as a control group for an experiment."

Ezekiel replied in the same level tone as his Servant's. "What is there to fear? I have no time to waste on being afraid when there is a clear goal in my sight." Ezekiel narrowed his eyes. "Why would you be surprised? You are aware I used myself as the catalyst, meaning that you and I are similar."

Caster nodded. "It was a test of your observation skills, to see if you would follow my line of questioning to its origin. That origin being that do you actually desire a wish from it? The Grail?"

"Something like the Grail is a impossible dream. They claim it is omnipotent, but do they actually know? After the Fourth Fuyuki War, a massive inferno appeared and killed hundreds. The Association maintains that a unworthy Master touched the Grail when it materialized, but that is ridiculous. If the unworthy Master touched the Grail, that would indicate that their Servant was destroyed. The remaining Master and Servant pair wouldn't have let someone get that close, and who's to say that wasn't the cost of the wish?"

"What if that Master reached the Root only because that fire started? It's hypothetical, but the basis is sound." Ezekiel finished, observing Caster's reaction. Or lack thereof, he remained completely impassive and indifferent to the theory, his elbows on the table and his head resting on his interlocked hands.

He thought he could detect a ghost of a smile, but he was broken from his observations when Caster spoke. "I see, that theory does have a strong backbone and is plausible. But, hypothetically of course, what would you want if you had the opportunity to get anything you wanted? It is unnecessary for the final outcome of our strategy, but it would be fascinating to know."

Ezekiel let himself smirk at that. "If I could fulfill anything I desired, it would be to know the final thoughts of the final human being in existence."

"Would they realize the fact that as soon as their heart stops that humanity is extinct? What would they die from, disease? Hunger? Suicide? I desire to see that in its entirety, for that would be the greatest thing to ever know." He said calmly, for that was what he truly desired more than anything. He noted that if he was in front of anyone else, they would call him a sadist or an idiot, but if one took time to think about it, they would come to the conclusion that it would it truly is something that would be interesting to know.

Caster stared impassively, trying to deduce his Master's strange wish. Despite the fact that he possessed the _Human Observation_ skill, he was finding that he could only tell one thing from his Master.

" _No matter how dark or shunned the path he walks is, he will walk it without regret or fear."_ And that one fact, that one sentence told him everything he would ever need to know about the magus Ezekiel Boswell.

"It seems that you and I could be called kindred spirits, with similar ideals and values about the world and the sanctity of life. So with those words my Master, I would like to say that," Caster stood up from his chair and stepped next to Ezekiel, offering his hand. "I am very pleased with you as my Master, fittingly named "May God strengthen him", Ezekiel Boswell."

Ezekiel took Caster's hand, and grinned. "And I am most pleased with the Servant Caster of the False Grail War, Author of the Black Book." He declared, both sides feeling the bond between them grow stronger.

…

… _and it also determined that the Caster class Servant would be a pain in the ass for the other Masters. Again…_

 _Oh shit! I'm voicing my thoughts in the story by breaking the fourth wall, AGAIN! And I'm spoiling THE STORY! QUICKLY, I MUST RETREAT WITH HASTE!_

*The author started hitting two coconut halves together to mimic a horse's gallop* _"TO RETRIEVE THE HOLY GRAIL FOR BRITAIN!"_ The author said as he majestically galloped of in the sunset, well as majestic as one can be whilst hitting two coconut halves together.

…

 **Assassin: Two Days Before The False Grail War**

"Oh my Gooooodddd! It's early September and it's still hot as balls, is it going to be like this for the rest of the battle?" Adrian asked as he fanned his face, baffled at the fact that he was wearing khakis and a t-shirt yet he was still roasting alive.

When he heard that Arizona was hot, he was expecting maybe it would hit the high nineties sometimes around noon, but it was over a hundred! He felt sympathy for the people who lived here year round, trying to imagine the summer highs made him feel hotter just by thinking about it!

"Yes Adrian, this state does receive the most sunlight out of all 50. As such, it is very hot here year round." Hugo said, restraining a sigh as Adrian wheeled him into a motel office and began explaining their fake identities.

Checking into the Navajo Nation* Motel, was a man and his nephew on a road trip while _Cody_ had a few years to live, and before _Jackson_ went to college. If push came to shove, they planned on saying that they were both Greek to explain the difference in skin tones and to make sure people at least _thought_ that they were related.

After getting the key from a disinterested woman in her 40s, they both entered their room to be pleasantly surprised. It was well furnished and clean, despite the reputation that motel rooms got. Adrian pushed Hugo over the small bump to the room, and left to grab their bags.

Hugo began to wheel himself forward, but the thick carpet wasn't making it easy for someone still dealing with the side effects for a chemo that didn't leave a dent in the tumors festering in his kidney and stomach. Grunting with effort, he wasn't able to restrain a gasp when the chair began being pushed forward.

"Master, you should get to preparing a Bounded Field quickly, and possibly hypnotizing the clerk to ensure she doesn't look up your identities to find out that neither of you exist." Assassin advised as he pushed his Master next to the bed, helping the elder man onto the bed and under the covers.

"Thank you Assassin, but I plan on using this time as a learning experience for Adrian. The boy has more prana by default, and any Bounded Field he creates will be stronger than mine. Plus, I need to focus on providing enough prana to keep you in this world." Hugo explained, before sighing.

"It's a damn shame you can't remember your true name. Means even more cards are stacked against us." He said dismally.

Assassin stared back with blank eyes.

"I am aware of my abilities and Noble Phantasm. That shall suffice." He said with the same dull tone before bowing at the waist. "I shall be out scouting for enemy Masters. If I find anything worthwhile, I shall report it as soon as I return." He stated as he faded away in a blue mist of energy.

"Hugo! You wouldn't believe what just happened!" Adrian suddenly stuck his head in the door yelling like a lunatic, causing Hugo to nearly jump out of his skin.

"Jesus-What happened? Are we under attack already?!" Hugo yelled panicked, fearing the worst.

"Uuuhhhh, weeellll nooooooo." Adrian said sheepishly, scratching his cheek. "I was grabbing the bags out of the truck, and I saw this _beauuutiful_ woman. She looked like a native and she was drop dead gorgeous, her face, her hair, and her eyes! Don't me started on those!" Adrian said enthusiastically as he did such cheesy gestures to accompany his movements that Hugo could practically see hearts floating around him.

"Adrian, we're in a war zone, have been ever since we crossed city lines. You can chase all the skirts you want after, and only after this is over. Understand?" Hugo said full of mirth and annoyance at his apprentices fondness for the opposite sex. Reminded him of his youth, where he, he wasn't trying to brag, but man oh man did the ladies love the Hugo. Or was that his old brain trying to make himself sound cooler…nope, he still remembered the 60s and being with that bunch of hippies before he signed himself on as a mercenary fighting for the United States.

Deciding it would be in his best interest not to try and remember the three days that he blacked out on, which all started with that one guy with no hair and magic mushrooms, he waved the lovestruck man over to his bedside before grabbing his cheek and pinching furiously. "Get your head out of BoobyLand and focus on the task at hand! We need a Bounded Field on the double, you remember how to actually do it, correct?"

Adrian immediately stood up straight and saluted. "Yes sir!"

"Then get moving! Hup two three four, hup two three four…"

…

* Literally made that up on the spot, and I'm praying to our one true god, Cthulhu that there isn't a place called that in Phoenix.

 **Servant/Master/Magus/Human: ?**

What is the value of the human life? Can it be bought, like slaves? Could it be saved, like religions claimed? Was it worth a single penny, or worth more than there is money in the world?

He had spent his life trying to answer that question, but even at witnessing death brought him no closer. He didn't feel anything when he saw someone smile or laugh, but he felt joy at suffering. He was unable to answer that question either.

Maybe he had been looking too deep into it? Or not deep enough? No matter, he would know soon enough. Be it that night, the night after that, or the next of these wars. One could stop a person, but an idea never dies.

He watched the small family at their table, a father and mother, a little girl and an infant son, all eating their breakfast quietly. Whenever two of them met each other's gazes, they would smile. Why? What was deserving of joy in eye contact? It was irritating, infuriating as his mind couldn't comprehend it.

A crack.

The effects were slow at first, the infant become drowsy because of its small body, the father called them a sleepyhead and picked them up and set them down in its nursery, the walls were painted blue like the sky, little stars that would light up when it was dark pasted to the ceiling.

The child followed suit, complaining about their head hurting. The mother reached over and began reassuringly rubbing their back, before kissing them on the forehead saying that it would help it feel better.

The crack widened, splintering and stretching throughout like a spiderweb.

The average female is 5 feet and almost 4 inches, the average weight is 166.2 pounds, the healthy fat percentage being in between 10-12%. The average male is 5 feet, 10 inches, the average weight is 195.5 pounds, and the healthy fat percentage is 2-4%.

Based off of those bodily values, the female would react to toxins quicker because of possessing less body mass for toxins to spread through. However, they both would react slower than children and infants because they have even less body mass.

The father returned from the nursery, stating on how the baby had fallen asleep quickly. He had no idea that he had just set them down for the last time. The child commented on feeling tired as well, the mother saying on hot they would have to 'suck it up' because of school. Why the sudden contrast between love and cruelty? Was a measly education more important than bodily health? And why did the child accept it, why didn't they try to resist?

It spread even further, every inch covered in cracks.

The toxins grew far stronger, and the child began to fall. The parents weren't able to react, as the toxin brought them both down as well. In less than a second the trio fell onto the ground.

The child had died midfall, the parents barely clinging onto their own lives. Froth poured from the father's mouth as his body began seizing violently, the mother's eyes were blank as a corpses, her final breath long and in pain.

Merely seven minutes and fifteen seconds after he began, the entire family had been wiped away from the face of the Earth, and he still had no answers.

" _Why are humans so weak?"_

…

 **Rider: One Month Before The False Grail**

Bless the spirits that illusion spells existed, otherwise she would have to show her burns in public. She still had that sliver of reputation for being a Spirit Walker, and if it got out that she had a mutilated body, she didn't want to even think about the aftermath.

But, at least this town had such a strong feel to it. People living here didn't care about the sun or whether it burned them, for it was just a part of life. People who had pale skin once were now all ever so slightly tanned, and the Mexicans and Natives and everyone mixed in between didn't flinch at the sunlight that scorched the earth.

It was silly to react to something that was always there, that was the way of life that these people adopted or were born with, and was a lifestyle that she aspired for. She recognized that her Servant may not survive to the end, so she figured she should try to learn the ways of the Arizonans. To be able to embrace the Sun.

She took another swallow of the coffee she had purchased from a quaint little shop, watching the people hustling and bustling to get to their jobs or to their homes. Like little ants.

"Rider," She said quietly, feeling the Servant bring his attention back to her. _"Yes my Master? What do you need?"_

"You seem tense, are you okay?" She asked, before quickly adding. "I need to ensure that you are prepared for the upcoming fight."

" _I am…uncomfortable. I wasn't necessarily on the white man's side in life, and being in a city built by them in a territory stolen from others isn't pleasant. The sooner the final Master appears and the sooner we win the better."_ Rider snarled, Anna flinching from the poison in his words.

"I guess I can't really judge you," She replied as she took another sip. "Your entire life was spent fighting them after all. Leading your tribe into fight after fight, trying to stop a threat without an end."

" _It may have been in vain, but at least one more generation lived free from their rule. That is all that matters, but I do wish I could have prolonged it further, which is why I have a request of you Master."_ Rider asked, sounding hesitant.

" _I only died or was ever injured because someone held me back, either physically or mentally. When the battle comes, do not under any circumstances hold me back, no matter how dangerous or risky it becomes. Can you promise me that?"_ Rider asked, the pressure weighing down from his emotions almost suffocating.

Clearing her throat, she finished her drink and walked to the doorway, throwing the cup into a trash bin as she passed. "I…" Could she do that? If he was bloody and fighting a insurmountable threat, could she hold her tongue and let him fight against heroes far older than him.

She pushed open the door, standing just outside the doorway as she felt the morning air send a chill down her spine and made her painfully aware of how cold her nose was in relation to her body, which was remedied with a quick application of prana to heat her up.

"I will never hold you back, for I shall be right alongside you, Tȟašúŋke Witkó."

She could feel Rider's satisfaction from hearing his name come from his Mistress' lips. _"As you say, I look forward to the fight, Ann."_

...

 **Archer: Two Weeks Before The False Grail War**

"Damn you Americans for settling in such a hot place." Rin grumbled as she fanned herself. The house they had rented was small for the three magi, all of them were used to big courtyards and big buildings, Shirou included with the estate.

But this house was a three bedroom with a constricting hallway that separated the rooms from the rest of the house, which was a small kitchen that was always dark because it had no natural light, and a cramped back area where laundry and storage was.

And, to top it all off, the A/C had stopped working, Shirou had gone outside to fix it but that had been several minutes ago and Rin was still wearing little to nothing, a tank top and shorts that went to her upper thighs.

Luvia was looking at the kitchen tile with envy at how cool it was, her normally fancily done hair being held up with bobby pins and hair ties to prevent it from touching her skin, lest she got even hotter, while sipping from a glass of water with more ice than liquid, putting it against her face when she wasn't actively drinking something that probably rivaled the Artic in coldness.

"Agreed, what the hell is the point of building an entire city surrounded by desert?" Luvia said as she wiped sweat from her forehead, taking another look at the floor. She looked at Rin, before raising her finger.

"Not a word gets out." She said before she laid down on the tile, sighing at the coolness that poured into her body. Rin was staring horrified. This place had been unoccupied for Root knows how long, and they hadn't cleaned it ever since they got there several days ago. The amount of dirt and grime that was on that floor was horrifying to think about. Shirou was going to have a field day once he came back inside.

Said redhead just stumbled inside, trying to avoid Rin's gaze for some reason. "Shirou! Finally! What took you so long to fix a single air conditioner! It should have taken you only a few minutes to get it up and running again, so explain why you left us ladies boiling alive!"

"Well, um…" He began, trying to figure out how to describe what happened while he was outside.

"That would be my fault, Miss Tohsaka." Archer's powerful voice rang out as she materialized bowing at the waist. "I had decided to have a conversation with Mister Emiya about how exactly the 'air conditioner' worked, and I dragged out the process of fixing it. I am deeply sorry." She said sincerely, before standing up straight with a quizzical look.

"Rin, is it okay if I call you Rin?" "I prefer Tohsaka." "Tohsaka, why is my Master sprawled out unconscious on the floor?"

"Huh?" Was all she could reply as she looked over at a soundly sleeping Luvia, laying face down and spread eagle on the tile.

"Oh, she fell asleep…" She said to clarify it to herself, before a evil smirk that made Shirou audibly gulp and Archer to take a step back in preparation for a fight.

"Tell me, how gullible do you think Luvia is?"

"Don't you dare Tohsaka! Unless you have a death wish, I'd advise you not to go around playing practical jokes on my Master." Archer threatened, before looking back down at the sleeping blonde. _"And, you wouldn't be able to get away with it."_ She mumbled as an afterthought.

Archer elegantly walked towards Luvia, her footsteps barely making a sound as she crouched low. "Like a baby…" Archer said quietly as she brushed hair out of Luvia's face. "So peaceful."

She took a deep breath, before lowering herself towards Luvia's head, and yelled at the top of her Servant lungs. The results were spectacular to say the least.

Luvia jumped about a foot in the air kicking and screaming, pushing herself off of the floor and onto her feet with her fists reinforced looking around frantically expecting a complete battleground with fire falling from the sky and there to be at least one hundred demons hungering for their flesh.

Instead she got Archer sitting on her knees next to where she had been laying down, and Shirou and that damned Tohsaka both laughing so hard they could puke.

"ARCHER!" Luvia yelled, her voice cracking.

"What is wrong my Mistress? You were sleeping on the floor, and that is the most efficient way of waking someone up. You are awake, are you not?" Archer asked feigning innocence.

Luvia, her face flush with embarrassment, stuttered several times before resorting to a classic Tsundere Growl™. "Don't ever do that again Archer, or I will use a Command Seal."

"Of course you will milady, but in the meantime do you think that you could not sleep on a dirty floor in the future? Tarnishes your appearance." Archer said playfully as she gestured to the dirt caked on Luvia's clothes and skin.

Luvia paled before pointing at Shirou and Rin glaring. "Not. ." Was all she said as she walked towards her bedroom, intent on washing herself and possibly burning the clothing as evidence.

Rin laughed at her rival's appearance before looking back at Shirou. "You know we're going to spread that around like a wildfire when we get back right?"

"Definitely."

"Hey," She grabbed the sides of Shirou's face, forcing him to look at her in the eyes. "You're acting funny…." She said quietly before grabbing his ear and pulling him down. "Snap out of it you handsome idiot! If you space out during the fight and get hurt I'll kill you. Understood?"

"I got it, I got it! Just stop pulling on my ear! Please!" He begged, grimacing as Rin continued trying to separate his ear from his skull.

Rin released her boyfriend from the vice grip with a satisfied hmph, before turning around and sashaying down the hallway. "I'm going to go take a shower before the battle tonight, you're welcome to join me if you want." She called back, knowing that she probably smelt like a gym bag from the heat.

Shirou smiled at her retreating form, before looking at Archer worried. "Are, are you sure?"

"The blessing from my goddess let's me know these sorts of things.." Archer said quietly, before the giantess walked towards him. "You have more than enough time."

"Does she know?"

"At this point of time, not a clue. All we can do is give her Diana's blessing, and hope for the best." Archer said softly.

"Don't fret boy, that girl of yours is stronger than anything this war can throw at her. You all will be fine, and by my honor I won't let a single scratch on the three of you."

Shirou breathed out a sigh of relief, thankful the Servant was so kind. "Thank you Archer, it means a lot to me."

"You can't bear the weight of the world by yourself, every swordsman needs a reliable sheath and shield along with their blade." She said strongly, before stepping back a foot and fanned the air in front her face. "And you are in dire need of a shower!" She said pinching her nose and over exaggerating disgust. With the authority of a queen, she pointed her finger down the hallway. "Go join your girlfriend in cleansing yourself immediately! I'd rather not have our plans be foiled because our enemies smelled your body odor!"

"Y-yes ma'am!" Shirou sputtered out as he took off down the hallway, Archer looking at his retreating form amused. _"I believe that went well, the last time I did that it ended rather unpleasant for all of the people involved."_ Archer thought smiling. _"I'm more worried for when Rin finds out that he knew already. That would be something I'd enjoy watching."_

…

 **Fifteen Minutes Before The False Grail War Begins**

If only the War happened in another city, one less populated. Cities like Fuyuki were fairly populated, but the streets were mostly empty at night. Not Phoenix, people were coming and going at all times of the day and night as the city never truly slept.

But, like most cities, things never stayed the same. The city had to grow and expand, oftentimes by tearing down the old buildings and replacing them with new ones. A old parking garage from the 80s was scheduled for demolition, it sat abandoned with nary a soul inside.

…

 _Oh look at me using fancy words like "nary". God I'm old._

...

A figure stepped into the building, short and wearing a gray hoodie concealing their identity, they walked up the ramps until they reached the third floor, where someone else was waiting. wearing a leather jacket that went to his mid thigh, with pointed boots and gloves. His face was plain, brown hair and blue eyes with a short beard, and he was smirking.

"Come on Ava, let us test your spear with my sword." He taunted, a dark knight materializing with a bronze sword held left handed.

"Little dramatic, don't you think Haven?" The figure replied with a heavily warped voice, a woman in Chinese battle armor materializing beside them, wielding a massive rippled spear.

"Sue me, I've been waiting forever to say that." He said as he removed his left glove and snapped.

Saber launched forward with a upper hand swing, Lancer wisely jumping back to avoid it, only to have to continually have to sidestep and dodge from Saber's cursed blade. "What are you doing Lancer?" Saber grunted out as he continued his onslaught, grinning from ear to ear. "Stop running and hit me with your weapon!" He growled as Lancer deflected his sword.

"I was planning on it," Lancer said calmly as she began rapidly thrusting her spear in a counterattack, Saber forced to start blocking with his sword. Saber was pushed back again and again, but his blade continued to seek out the spearhead and deflect it away from a vital strike.

After blocking several blows, Saber quickly brought his blade up before slamming it back down, trapping Lancer's polearm underneath. Saber grinned as Lancer glared back. "Now don't be that way girlie, I am just using the battleground to my advantage. Can't hate me for that, can you?"

"I suppose," Lancer said quietly as she suddenly ripped her polearm from the ground and jabbed it's blunt end into the ground, holding herself up and delivering a crushing kick to Saber's chest.

Saber was thrown backwards and slammed into a support column, wheezing from the blow to his chest. He could feel two dents in his chestplate where Lancer had struck him, grinning as he felt blood beginning to fill his mouth from a wound he had bitten into his cheek. "I applaud the use your weapon Lancer!"

"We are fighting to the death. I planned on using any means necessary to ensure victory before we even crossed blades." Lancer replied quietly, leaping forward and jabbing with her polearm again. Saber sidestepped the attack, the polearm creating a hole clean through the column.

Lancer ripped the spear from the pillar and continued her attack on the grinning Saber.

…

What is so fragile, that speaking it's very name breaks it?

"Shirou you dolt! Move it!"

Silence, and Shirou was rather intimate with what happened when you broke it. Rin had shot up like a rocket from her nap saying she felt prana being released, and screeching like a maniac had dragged the other three residents after the signature.

They had ran through several alleys trying to get to the old financial district of the city, before pointing at a tall skyscraper still under construction.

"Luvia, send Archer up there to give us fire support. We have to try and get some of the Masters on our side, and showing Archer is inviting a fight." Rin ordered, Luvia looking appalled.

"Hold on right this moment!" Luvia yelled into Rin's impassive face. "Who made you the leader! To even think of ordering me is an insult to my pride as a-Archer what are you doing!" Luvia yelled as her Servant began leaping up the building. Archer stopped at a floor, and, holding onto the building with her hand, leaned backwards to look down at the group.

"Doing the best strategy Miss Edelfelt. Miss Tohsaka has been in one of these wars before, so she has more experience in strategy. Please," Her voice took a pleading tone. "Just work with her on this. We both desire the Grail, and she knows how to get there."

Luvia blushed heavily while growling, considering using a Command Seal to order her Servants obedience, but something was telling her not to risk the Servant's anger. "Fine! Go do your own thing perched up away from the battle, while we go stick our necks out!"

"You will be fine Master. No prey can escape from my eyes."

…

"Well," Haven commented as Saber and Lancer continually tore the garage and themselves apart. "Fuck me."

"You're a rather vulgar person Haven." The disguised Ava called out from the opposite side of the garage. "Were you never taught manners?"

"Oh screw you sweetheart, not everyone can be heir to a mage family living the dream." He growled in response. "I had to claw through a lot of shit to get here, and damnit I don't plan on giving up so quickly! Saber, you need to get a move on!" He ordered the Servant, who grimaced as he backpedaled from Lancer's assault.

"You're going to have to be patient Master!" Saber yelled over the screeching sound of steel meeting steel. "This woman," A lock of hair was cut as she broke through his defense. "This _warrior_ is quite powerful, annoyingly so."

With a grunt, he kicked Lancer back, a stalemate having been reached. "I've been thinking about that spear of yours." Saber started, Lancer following immediately after him.

"And I've been thinking about that armor of yours."

"A Chinese warrior with a serpentine spear with a rippled blade." Saber laughed slightly. "I'd never expected that the legendary Zhang Fei would be a woman."

"There is plenty of warriors with dark armor, but none as vicious as the opponent of King Arthur, with no name to call your own." Lancer clicked her tongue. "The famed Black Knight."

Saber did an overly grandiose bow. "Was it the scale plating? I may not have been one with dragon blood, but I was fairly close to being a dragon slayer." He questioned as he pulled his blade up again. "But, sadly for you, my legend doesn't say a word about my blade, or how I was defeated, but I know all about your assassination and that I can use that to my advantage." The bronze blade began to glow ever so slightly as waves of heat began emanating from the demonic sword, it's wielder grinning madly.

"Prepare for my Noble Phantasm, Lancer!" Saber called out, bringing his blade behind him in preparation for a overhand swing. " **Ignis** ," He chanted under his breath.

A sharp cry of pain interrupted the Noble Phantasm.

…

 _And cliffhanger!_

 _Yep, Lancer is the Chinese general Zhang Fei, and Saber is the Black Knight of Arthurian legend. I did take quite a few liberties with Saber because he isn't mentioned in the Nasuverse, and that his legend is very small because he is only a minor antagonist in most renditions of the legend. Expect Berserk and Monty Python references with this character because Guts is named after the Black Knight by being the Black Swordsman, and because the Black Knight in Monty Python is iconic._

 _And yes, I know that in real life Zhang was a man, but when you remember that Leonardo Da Vinci, King Arthur, Nero, Francis Drake, and so on and so forth have been genderbent, I decided to say why not and did it myself._

 _I won't reveal their Noble Phantasms or Personal Skills yet because they both influence the story, but I give you the gift of their Alignments, and their stats._

 **Saber**

Alignment: Neutral Evil

 _Stats_

Strength: B

Mana: C

Endurance: A++

Luck: D

Agility: B

N. Phantasm: B

 _Class Abilities_

Magic Resistance: A

Riding: B

 **Lancer**

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

 _Stats_

Strength: B

Mana: B

Endurance: C

Luck: D

Agility: A

N. Phantasm: A+

 _Class Skills_

 _Magic Resistance_ : B


	4. Chapter 4: Ally

_And you're back! Yes! Number 4 is right before the first milestone of Number 5, so it in of itself is a milestone too! That makes sense, right?_

 _As of writing this, we have 10 followers and 3 favorite which is awesome. There was a review for the first chapter, but none on the last one though. I'd really, really, REEAALLYY appreciate if you guys reviews. It'd be awesome to know your thoughts on this story._

 _Also, if I reveal a Servant's identity, and you think_ "I have a awesome idea for a Noble Phantasm or Skill!" _do not hesitate to let me know. I'd love to hear your suggestions about how I can improve or change the Servants around._

" _Was there any-What the!" Two people in robes run and attack the author, tying a gag around his mouth and dragged him out of view._

 _One figure comes back, their face completely shadowed by their cloak as they pull out a sign. It reads: "The author is out of commission for right now," A audible scream was heard, a wet thwack silencing it." you will discover our identity…" They flipped the sign around. "At the end of the chapter! Bwahahahaha!"_

 _The figure chucks the sign out of view, an audible crash from the sign breaking something that sounded expensive. The figure throws their head back and begins doing the motions of laughter, but no sound escaped them._

 _A comically large cane pops in from out of view, hooking the figure around the neck and dragged them away._

…

 _I Searched For An Answer_

…

 **Haven: Four Hours Before The Battle**

"Does something seem, _off_ to you?" I asked Saber, staring at last night's leftovers spinning in the microwave.

Saber materialized beside me, staring into the microwave with me. I guess he wanted to see what I was so interested by, which would be lasagna being bombarded by radiation in order to heat it to suitable levels for human consumption.

"I hate to answer your question with a question, but what do you mean Master?" He asked confused. Guess I should've expected that after all, Saber was a beast stat wise, but his common sense must've been fried when I summoned him. Or maybe he was always this clueless, whatever moving along.

"Well, you ever go into a city or meet someone and get this weird feeling that something's up? You know, 'Everyone in town is a bunch of cannibals!' or 'This guy isn't telling the truth.'," I explained. "I've got this feeling that something is going on here, and that isn't the crazy talking."

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you mean. Perhaps it's a mage thing?", I frowned and shook my head.

"A side effect of a curse you picked up over the years?"

"Nuh uh."

"Maybe you're paranoid? The Holy Grail War can be very stressful after all."

"That…that makes sense. Maybe I'm just being a paranoid mess." Although I wasn't going to vocally admit it, I've always have been a worrywart. Several of my family's maids quit because I was a walking ball of stress and fear for years.

Stress over my brother's superiority and what chance I had of being a legitimate magus, and fear over the circuits in my body threatening to kill me. Before I mastered control of them, they would randomly flare up and cause horrendous pain, sending my vocal range/power through the roof and my body to the floor. I guess it was just too much for some of them, so they quit.

"But," Damnit I hate butts, thighs are where it's at. "Perhaps you aren't being paranoid, and there is something wrong with the Grail War." Saber said, causing me to sigh.

"Thanks Saber, a beacon of positivity as always."

…

 **Jessiry: Ten Hours After the Battle**

"Come on Ava, stay with me!" A woman yelled, Ava remembered her voice. But she felt so heavy, like lead. She let herself fall deeper into her subconscience.

Hours passed, and the sun rose, golden rays gently waking the rest of the world, but for her it practically stabbed her in her retinas, forcing her awake. Her entire body felt sore, like she had been on the opposing end of a battering ram. Twice.

She opened her eyes, realizing a rather pleasant scent wafting through the air. It smelt like someone was cooking something, but her hotel room didn't have a stove. That meant she wasn't in her-Jessiry bolted up in the bed despite her bodies protests. She looked down at her body, and realized that she wasn't even wearing her clothes. Someone had changed her into a gray button up shirt that was way too tight around her chest, but they hadn't changed her panties, thankfully.

"Master!" She heard Lancer say excited, the warrior materializing next to her smiling, yet again wearing the outfit that left _NOTHING_ to the imagination, but with all her willpower Ava kept her gaze on her face and not on her ample chest.

" _Damnit hormones!"_ She internally yelled while externally she spoke normally. "Hey Lancer," Ava tried to push herself out of the bed, but her side disagreed and sent pain flaring through her body. "What happened last night?" She asked.

Lancer frowned. "A lot happened Master. It all started when Saber was about to release his Noble Phantasm…"

"Oi," A voice cut in from the doorway, making Jessiry jump out of her skin. To her surprise and confusion, Haven was standing in the doorway, a stitched up cut on his forehead and a dull bruise on his neck.

"Nice to see you rejoin the Land of the Living, how's your side feeling?" Haven asked, smiling as he stepped inside the room all the way. It was, strange to see him not look like a mercenary or biker, she was used to seeing him in all black and leather boots, but here he was in sweatpants and a T shirt. _"Well he is human after all."_ She reasoned to herself.

"My side?"

"You know, the fleshy bit between your ribs and hips." Haven explained.

Jessiry rolled her eyes, but stopped mid roll when something very big clicked in her mind. "What the hell! What are you doing here! Where is here! Why would you be asking the condition of something that's SUPPOSED to be covered up in public! Did you strip me while Saber held Lancer down and do nasty things to me while I was asleep! Answer me you son of a bitch!" Jessiry screeched, Haven physically recoiling with each proclamation.

"I'm not a lolicon! I already had to convince Saber AND Lancer that I wouldn't do anything. Just let me explain and you can hit me all you want if you don't find it making sense!" Haven reasoned, his hands held up to guard him from the animal baying for his blood.

Jessiry held him underneath a scrutinizing gaze for several seconds, before relenting and sitting back. "I'll give you one chance, so explain why I should show mercy."

"Because I'm way more experienced in combat than you probably ever will be." Haven deadpanned, Jessiry making a 'eep' sound in response.

"And two, I have some big news. Like, 'worlds about to implode' big."

…

 **Haven: The Night Before**

I have to admit, I'm not sure where I stand on the whole Noble Phantasms thing. They make sense, sometimes.

Saber's thrived on his emotions, channeling it into his sword and then boom, Saber needs a breather and the enemies are dead. Which, just made me think _"How the hell does that work?"_ Answer: We have no idea how, it just does. Water is wet, cows are dumb, and Noble Phantasms are strange.

I was busy concentrating on supplying Saber mana, but the connection abruptly was interrupted when a loud crack tore through the air and I found myself face first on the ground. Wait, why was I on the ground? And why can I smell blood? Wait….shit am I bleeding?!

Feeling a burning pain from above my shoulder and the left side of my chest becoming warm and damp clarified my suspicion, crystal f-ing clear. Was it an attack from the little Kuznetsov? She has balls if she planned on doing the same strategy I had originally. With a slight cackle, I pushed myself upwards, the bullet being little more than an annoyance. With barely a thought, I reached up to my collarbone where the bullet lay stuck in the bone, and ripped it out, a string of blood flying outwards.

A threat laced as a joke was halfway out of my throat as I turned around, but I found myself facing Saber's back. He must've jumped in the way to protect anymore attacks. I peeked around him, and my heart jumped into my throat.

Ava was being cradled by her Servant, a red puddle growing underneath them both. She was still alive, but every breath looked like a struggle. Like she was fighting just to keep her heart beating.

I'm no stranger to gore, I've seen the inside of my own arm for Root's sake, but seeing that much blood out of someone as small as her made me sick. It wasn't right, that much blood shouldn't be possible. I wasn't the good guy here, I wasn't going to sacrifice life and limb to save someone I barely know.

But I'm still human, no matter how much crap I do to myself or what I go through I'm still always going to hold onto that scrap of humanity.

Saber and Lancer were equally surprised when I ran past him, blurring over to my enemies side and sliding close.

Lancer was aiming that spear of hers towards my head, but was distracted when Ava moved in her grasp, and I managed to weave past it.

I was at the most advantageous point of this entire fight. Saber was rushing in from behind me, I was out of Lancer's effective range, and my opponent was at death's door. A quick thrust of my hand, and one Master is eliminated, and I'm a step closer to revenge. The urge was palpable, screaming in my mind to just do it, kill her now before she becomes dangerous later.

"I'm not here to hurt, just to help." I spoke barely above a whisper as I slowly raised my hand to where the blood poured from her side, Lancer's gaze following it's path with watchful eyes.

When my hand remained unsevered and touching the damp clothing, I focused on using the weakness curse. With a quick probing, I discovered that Ava probably had the best luck in the world.

The wound was clean, a quick exist and entry that would be a fairly easy patch job. Saved me the trouble of having to go digging for brass in a Russian magus.

The hairs on the back of my neck rose as I felt something enter the Bounded Field, that something being at least twenty people with hostile intent. They began moving to the stairs, if we were on the third floor that gave us less than a minute before company arrived.

Saber perked up behind me, and turned his attention to the stairwell. "You better pick up the pace, Master."

"Yeah, no shit." I said over my shoulder, before looking back the girl. _"Fuck, I'm not going to be able to heal this thing fast enough."_ I cursed as I quickly sealed the internal bleeding.

 _45 seconds._

The wound was resisting my healing, I'd seen this before. Well, I'd casted a spell similar to this before. But this was on a completely different level, my spell was a flea bite compared to this! I opened up more of my circuits, feeling a uncomfortable burning all throughout my chest and arms.

 _30 seconds._

The intestines had been sealed, now to the very small muscular wall. Ava should exercise more, if I wanted too I could probably punch clean through her. The muscles were resisting my healing even more than the organs, so in response I began pulling more energy out. The burning spread down towards my legs and up my neck.

 _24_ _seconds._

I barely crossed the halfway point in healing the injury, the muscles were still torn, several veins were still ruptured, and the skin was still open. "Fuck it, Lancer get moving. Saber and I will take care of the attackers."

"But what about the bleeding? If this is some plot to kill her, I swear I will do anything to rip your-" "Can it Lesbo, unless you want her to be a lot more dead move it." Lancer glared at me, before turning around, getting Jessiry into a comfortable position, and leaped out the opening and disappeared into the night.

 _17 seconds._

"Was there any point to saving her later Master?" Saber asked, his grip tightening on his blade as the footsteps approached.

 _14 seconds._

"Not now Saber, I need you to go into Spirit Form."

 _12 seconds._

"What?! Are you ins-" "Yes! Just do it damnit!"

 _8 seconds._

"I, You," Saber growled. "Fine!" He yelled as he disappeared.

 _4 seconds_.

" _Just be ready for my signal."_ I tried to reassure my stubborn Servant.

The footsteps reached the top floor, revealing men and women in black combat armor. All were equipped with either a Steyr AUG assault rifle, a M1A4, or an AK-47. I threw my hands up in surrender. Don't judge me! If you were stuck in a fairly closed off space with a bunch of rapid fire death machines aimed at your face you'd surrender too, or pretend at the least.

They were barking orders at me, but I shut them out. I couldn't afford to be distracted, otherwise I'll be as dead as Genghis Khan with a nosebleed. "Invitet in tenebris lapidem, we search for the answer."

Several of them surrounded me, one of them took hit me with the but of their gun on my forehead, drawing blood. I fell on my knee, but as I tried standing up another blow came into the side of my neck. Yet, I continued my chant. "For we have been blinded too long."

My arm shot out and found its way inside the soldier who hit me's stomach. A quick twist of my wrist and his small intestine had been torn to shreds. He screamed as I used my arm to pull him down to me and used him as a meat shield.

Using my position to my advantage, I threw myself backwards as bullets riddled the poor bastard on top of me. I landed on my back, and with a split second thought Saber manifested and cut three of them in half.

Wrenching my arm out, I used my other to grab a knife and throw it. Where it landed didn't matter, as long as it hit something it would work. The knife flew through the air and buried itself into a wall, the collision triggering a small circle carved into the bottom of the blade's hilt.

Purple vapor began pouring off the weapon, filling the parking garage but stopping at the barrier of the Bounded Field. It wasn't toxic, it didn't burn your eyes or nose, it was exactly as you saw it, a cover system. Panicking soldiers began firing into the mist at any sound, the screams of the injured and frightened filling the air.

"Saber, take care of them quickly. We need to reposition as fast as possible." I ordered as I turned towards the window that stretched across the entire building.

"Are you truly mad?! There could be more of these bastards outside!" Saber yelled as a wet squelching noise accompanied by a squeal came from the fog.

"Oh please, I'll get away from this scott free! Just you watch!" I challenged as I swung both my legs over the boundary. Forcing what little energy I could spare, I reinforced my legs and dropped down, falling a good thirty feet until I landed haphazardly on the ground.

Rolling to reduce the impact on my body, I grunted as I tried to stand. My left ankle was definitely bruised, and I think I fractured my other when I landed. With effort, I stood up and began hobbling away.

Man, I must look intimidating! Guy wearing all black and looks edgy as hell overall limping along cursing at every step. Tremble my enemies! For that is all you can do before Edgy-Hobbling Man defeats you with his Gimp Leg of Justice!

I hobbled a block or so away before Saber rejoined me, and being the chivalrous knight he is, began laughing at my limping.

"Scott free? Hah, you look like you had to take it up your rear from someone to get away!" Saber said with a smirk before he began laughing joyfully.

"Shut up asshole, as punishment you have to carry me back to base." I ordered, but his response was to laugh even harder before growing stern.

"What about the girl and Lancer? How do you plan on finding them?" He stated, and I paled. Zhang Fei wasn't exactly famous for his, no "he's" a she, _her_ medical skills, and I left Ava in a rough patch.

…

"You forgot about me! Are you serious!" Ava interrupted, Haven flinching and holding his arms out.

"Blame the adrenaline in my system! I wasn't really concentrating and healing you was a spur of the moment deal! You have to unde-" " . ?" Ava interrupted, a dangerous look on her face.

"I did save you regardless, so appreciate it and don't soil my view of you by being an ungrateful brat." Haven retorted, and Ava deflated from the insinuation.

"Fiiinnee, just continue with the story."

…

"Uuhhh, um, fuck." "That vulgar word you use every other sentence, 'fuck', fits this situation rather perfectly."

The hairs on the back of my neck rose again as I sensed something with magical energy approach. It several very fast targets, running towards us from every direction. Out of the blue, the most vile howl I'd ever heard in my entire life rang through the air. It sounded like a wolf was choking on blood and had been warped by a broken speaker.

"Look out!" Saber cried as he pushed me to the ground and slashed at a black mass which was sent flying down the street by his attack, a yelp coming from it as it hit the ground.

"Ow…" I groaned. "Sorry." Saber apologized as he pulled me up.

"It's fine." I insisted, before turning towards our attacker. "But what the hell was that?"

"A familiar, most likely summoned by another Servant." Saber reasoned, cupping his eyes as he looked down the dimly lit street. "It looks like a wolf of some sort."

"Did you kill it?" I asked.

The wolf growled in reply as it began standing up. For more reasons than one, I wished it stayed down. It turned around to reveal that it's jaw was severely warped, it's snout jerking our at a strange angle. It was missing one of it's eyes with puss leaking from it's socket. It's other eye socket was filled with several green orbs that may have been eyes once, but looked diseased. A massive slash cut across its stomach, where I could see some of its entrails hanging out. It growled horribly, blood and a green fluid leaking down its jaw as it's hackles raised.

"By the Root, what the hell is that thing!"

"An abomination Master," Saber answered coolly. "An abomination against God."

The wolf howled and launched forward, it's broken teeth bared and it's large tongue hanging out the side of it's mouth. Saber prepared to fight again, standing in front me to provide as a shield. The wolf snarled, it's long tongue reaching up to lick it's deformed eye. Saber bared his teeth and growled, showing his dominance over the beast.

The wolf leaped into the air, it's marred jaw open as Saber brought his blade down, preparing to cut the beast in half.

The air shook, and the wolf was sent flying against a wall as countless arrows ripped into its flesh and pinned it.

Saber instantly changed his focus towards the source of the arrows, his eyes darting around to locate the source as I limped over and took cover behind him again. "Can't catch a break, can we?" I said, trying to joke but I was starting to get pissed and my tone showed it.

A loud whistle called from up the street, and I looked over while Saber kept his guard up. Standing at the end of the road, was the Brunette and the Redhead from the security tape.

"You're fine, Archer is with us." Brunette yelled down the road, and I scoffed.

"And who are you? Sorry sweetheart, but I don't trust so easily. What stops you from stabbing us in the ass later on?" I asked, and Saber sighed.

"Did you seriously just change a modern quote around purely for you to say 'ass'?" Saber asked.

"Was that a rhetorical question?"

"Of course it was!"

"Hey!" Brunette yelled. "We're trying to have a conversation here, so can it and listen up!"

"The Grail is more than likely corrupted, and if it grants a wish it could result in at the very least this city blowing off the map. I doubt that you want that, so we're asking for your assistance." She explained, and I felt my heart leap into my throat. Saber appeared to be taking it well, but I could sense that he was internally panicking.

"Bullshit. I've seen this charade before sweetheart." I said. "You're using the definition of psychological warfare, plant doubt in your opponents head and then strike them at their weakest. It could've worked, if I wasn't me of course. Unless you want his sword up your ass, move along." I threatened, giving Saber mentally orders to prepare for anything.

"We aren't lying." Redhead cut in. "Do you remember the fire that happened at the end of the Fourth War?"

"I was like fifteen when it happened, so to answer your question, barely." I said after a second. I think I was drunk or in bed with a hooker when that happened. Hypnotism was probably the worse thing to teach a teenager the more I think about it.

"That fire was because of the Holy Grail. If this Grail is corrupted then this war will end the same way, with countless deaths of innocent people." Redhead replied, and I afforded a single raised eyebrow.

"…You are positive in that there is a good possibility of the Grail's corruption?" I asked, and Saber balked.

"You can't be taking this seriously Master? You yourself just stated that it was them lying to us!"

"Quiet." I ordered, before looking back up at Brunette.

"Yes, it has a more than likely chance." She answered,

I sighed, before raising my hands and shrugging. "What can you do I guess? If the Grail is a massive bomb waiting to go off, then I can't just let it be used. I like people, so I'll bite and help you." I raised a finger. "But if it turns out you pulled the wool over our eyes, consider your entire life forfeit." I threatened, before hissing as my shin gave a sudden argument with it's circumstances.

"You two wouldn't mind giving me a hand, because to be frank I think my foots about to fall off." I asked, smirking.

…

"S-so, you're saying the thing we were trying to kill each other over, could be a weapon capable of leveling the city?!" Ava screeched. Haven sighed, and Lancer bowed their head.

"That doesn't matter now, all that matters is making sure no one gets hurt." Haven stood up and popped his back. "Lancer picked up some clothes from your base, get changed and come out to eat. Shirou, one of our new friends, is apparently one hell of a cook."

Haven walked out the door, leaving Master and Servant alone. Lancer watched him leave, before turning back to Ava, to be shocked at finding her crying. "Master?"

"I-I'm fine, just scared." Ava said quietly, before looking up and at Lancer. "Scared that no matter what we do, we will still lose and that it will be my fault so many people may die. I'm just me, I can barely get you enough mana to stay here, and me fighting! Ha! I can't just kill someone, I don't want to be a murderer!" Ava was panicking now, her breaths coming out fast and her heart was pounding against her ribcage.

Panic took ahold of her, all she could think about was everything she had been told. The fact that she had almost been killed, that the False Grail may be a magical death machine, and that she may have to kill someone. That word rang in her mind, kill. She squeezed her eyes shut and slammed her hands over her ears, trying to blot it out, but it continued repeating. Over and over and over and over and over and over-and then, silence. There was no death, just warmth.

She opened her eyes to find herself in her Servant's embrace. "It is alright Master, you won't have to kill anyone. I promise as your Servant to ensure that not a drop of blood will stain your hands." She said reassuringly as she rubbed circles on Ava's back as she hiccupped and sniffled. A minute later, Ava calmed down, but didn't let go of her Servant, content with being there for just a little longer.

"Thank you Lancer." Ava whispered, and Lancer smiled.

…

 _The stage is dark, until it lights up, revealing large blue curtains. An unknown forces pulls it back, revealing the inside of a dojo. At the top of the stage, a sign hangs with the words "Illiya's and Fujimura's Tiger Dojo!", but the names have been crossed over with a black marker._

 _Two hooded figures step onto stage, and stand at opposite ends of the dojo, facing you. As one, they pull their hoods back to reveal Bazett Fraga McRemitz and Sakura Matou, both dressed in kimonos. Bazett's is a dark maroon and black with runes along the edges, while Sakura is wearing a dark purple kimono with sakura flowers flowing up and down it beautifully._

Bazett: Hello.

Sakura: Hi Reader-san! Didn't expect us I bet!

Sakura: Anthem-kun isn't feeling well, so we're taking his place to give you the author notes and to respond to your reviews!

Bazett: If you wish, you can be very angry at Mister Night for not updating in over a month.

 _Bazett pulls out a set of notes out from her kimono._

Bazett: His excuse is that he wasn't sure how he wanted the fight to go, and that even now he wishes he had added more bits featuring the other Masters and Servants.

Sakura: Yep, in all honesty Anthem-kun isn't very good at planning out his stories. He's actually terrible at it!

Bazett: You all have no idea how much bribing he did to get us to be in place of Taiga-san and Illiya-chan.

Sakura: I almost regressed into Dark Sakura from all his pleading!

 _Sakura begins giggling while Bazett takes a step away from Sakura_

Bazett: Anyway, if you have any questions or ideas about the story, do not hold back. We will show Anthem your ideas through his cell wa-through his email! I meant email!

Sakura: You never did tell me where Anthem-kun is, is something the matter Bazett-san?

Bazett: No! Nothing at all Sakura-chan!

 _One can hear muffled screaming in the background_

Sakura: …

Bazett: …

Sakura: …

Bazett: …I can explain.


	5. Chapter 5: The Calm

Sakura & Bazett: Hello Reader!

Bazett: Now, the author is currently very busy on writing Sacred Lie.

Sakura: Veeerrryyy busy. We promise that chapters will come out more frequently! Otherwise he gets personal with Dark Sakura.

Bazett: And I'll punch him in the stomach for every hour spent not writing.

Sakura & Bazett: Onto the story!

…

 _To The Question I Don't Know_

…

 **After Ava Was Registered With The Overseer: The Downstream Bar and Grill**

"And this, my little Russian friend," Haven said as the mammoth burger was laid in front of her. "Is a real burger."

Ava was having a hard time keeping her eyeballs from popping out of her head. This thing was beyond big! It was massive! Who in their right mind would eat this thing?

Haven passed a tip to the waiter, a young man who looked barely out of his teens, and with zero hesitation reached down and grabbed his burger and took a massive bite.

Ava was even more horrified. His burger was somehow bigger than hers, Root knows how they held it all together with a tiny toothpick, and he had eaten a quarter of the thing in a single bite. His cheeks bulging, and it took several seconds of chewing before he swallowed it.

Halfway through licking barbeque sauce off his fingers, he finally recognized that Ava was switching to staring in horror at the burger, and then at his method of eating. He pointed at the burger with his finger. "You gonna eat that?"

Looking at his finger, she stared to follow its path of direction, but stopped when she noticed something strange about his entire hand. She thought he was only wearing one of his gloves, but she saw both of them resting under his elbow, and most people don't have pitch black hands that glow slightly!

"What the hell happened to your hand?!" She yelled a little louder than she would have liked, but noticed that no one sitting around them had even flinched.

"Oh, this thing?" He stuck his hand out, almost being in Ava's face. "Fake arm, got it after my old one got personal with a shotgun." He explained as he pulled it back, rearing his head back slightly to take another massive bite.

"Uh, okaaaaaay." She said to herself as she looked back towards the monster of a meal that was on her plate.

"I can have them take it back, get you something smaller if you want or need to." Haven said around a mouthful, reaching down and grabbing a tomato that had fallen out of his burger and popping it into his mouth.

Ava shook her hand in a dismissive gesture. "No, I'll finish…this thing." She muttered to herself as she grabbed the burger that barely fit into her hands, eyeing it suspiciously.

"You afraid it's gonna bite you?" Haven commented, Ava growling slightly in response. "The burger is fine, just trying to figure out what angle will prevent the most spillage." She said under her breath.

After rotating it a little more, she took a breath and swallowed the spit that had collected in her mouth, before bringing the burger to her mouth and sinking her teeth into it. Some lettuce still spilled out, but the burger overall still held together.

Haven leaned forward, his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. "Soooooo, how is your first proper Americano cuisine? Hmmmmmm?" He asked, speaking in a terrible French accent.

Ava swallowed the last bit of meat down, coughing slightly once she came up for air. "It's, not that bad." She said once she finished her coughing fit.

Haven raised his thumb and smirked cheekily. "Well of course it tastes good! I've been living in America for about three years, so I know good food when I see it! Just stick with me, and you'll get used to American living fast enough!"

Ava couldn't resist a laugh at his antics, it was far too long since she laughed genuinely. It helped distract her from what was happening in the world, the messed up, broken world.

 **Ava**

After cleaning herself up and switching into a t shirt and pants, she and Lancer both walked towards the kitchen/dining area.

Haven was seated at the table talking with a very tall woman around a mouth of food, Saber standing behind him as a guard. Also sitting at the table was another European and two Asians, Japanese if she was to guess, a girl with dark hair and blue eyes and a boy with red hair and bronze eyes.

The tall woman recognized her arrival first. "Ah, you must be Jessiry, or would you prefer Ava?" She asked as the other conversations died.

"Just Ava is fine, Miss-?"

"I am Archer," She pointed towards the other blonde in the room. "This is my Master, Luviageltia Edelfelt."

"I have to say Miss Ava, you look far…healthier than last night. I suppose a bullet will put a damper on one's appearance though." She finished, Ava feeling a slight warmness on her cheeks.

"Yeah kid, you don't look like Snow White and the Sniper Round anymore." Haven slipped in smirking.

"Dick."

"I try to be."

"Anyway," Haven began with a more serious tone. "Now that's she's up we can start discussing our next mov-" "Master, if I may, Miss Ava hasn't eaten yet." Saber interrupted.

"Hm," Haven hummed in agreement. "You're right. Shirou, you made enough for her too right?"

"Of course I did." The named Shirou replied as he stood up and offered his seat. Ava thanked him and sat down, Lancer standing behind her.

Shirou briefly went in the kitchen, returning with a plate loaded with eggs, bacon, and two pieces of toast. "I decided to go with an English themed breakfast, but we didn't have the budget for fried mushrooms."

" _Why are all the men I know obsessed with large meals?"_ She briefly wondered as Shirou came back again with a cup of coffee and utensils.

"Enjoy."

…

She had gained a lot of understanding about of the mysteries of the universe, why did the Root exist, and would Zeltrech ever get bored of fiddling around with realities? Another one that was added to the long list was how did someone make a cup of black coffee taste amazing without adding large amounts of milk or creamer.

She was still wondering that as she finished washing off her plate and cup and walked back towards the table, where everyone had settled at.

Haven had his arms on the table, and raised a finger as he began talking. "First things first, we need to know the full battle capacity of everyone sitting here. Masters included." He said. "You can keep your identities secret of course, just give us a good view of what you can do."

Archer nodded in approval. "Master, if I may?"

Luvia nodded. "Give them a general idea, but don't reveal your identity."

Archer cleared her throat, and began. "My Noble Phantasm can only be used at night, and is Anti-Army. Due to certain blessings given to me in my infancy, I am at my strongest under moonlight. I also believe my speed rivals if not beats most Lancers" She explained.

"The most effective method of using you would be to fight strictly at night, which isn't that much of a problem given that it's recommended to fight at night to prevent possible witnesses." Haven muttered to himself.

Luvia huffed. "Since when did you become the leader?"

"I'm not, but who here has actually fired a weapon, and has been in active warzones?" He asked, waiting several seconds before continuing. "Precisely my point. I'm not in charge, but I actually know what to do in case everything hits the fan. And if you're such a badass, why not indulge us in your combat abilities?"

"Fine!" Luvia yelled, before she resituated herself and began calming herself down. "I am the most powerful gem magus in the entire Clock Tower, and I am a master at Lancashire martial arts. My Gandr Shots are capable of killing someone with a single curse."

"You ever test that last bit?"

Luvia scoffed. "Up until I was given Command Seals, I never had a reason to kill someone. But through detailed analys-" "So it _may_ have enough strength to kill someone. Trust me, test dummies and bodies made of gelatin are nothing like real people. Sometimes people just won't die when they're killed, as stupid as that sounds." Haven explained.

"Saber, if you will."

Saber nodded to his Master before he began. "I posses an Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm, and thanks to my high Endurance and Battle Continuation, I predict I could shrug off most incapacitating wounds, more than likely direct strikes to my Spiritual Core. As long as I have a steady supply of energy to heal any major wounds and use my Noble Phantasm, I should be fine no matter what I'm up against."

"And if I am in direct combat with a king, I gain a slight boost to my reflexes. It's rather miniscule, but split second makes all the difference in a fight." He said reassuringly.

Haven cleared his throat. "And my most powerful attack without a doubt is my lovely appearance." He said running his hand across his face. "Nah, my most powerful attack is breaking this thing into thin shards and then turning people into mincemeat." He said as he raised his obsidian limb. I"Im not a martial artist, but I do have a mean haymaker, and I'm not too shabby with a knife. I'm decent at reinforcement, and if I really need to I can project a knife, maybe a gun or something." Haven finished weakly.

"Lancer, you're up."

"Master?" "Go as far as you deem necessary."

"My Noble Phantasm is Anti-Army, but due to its nature it means that allies would need to retreat if I were to use it. My spear has powerful wards, and can block spells up to a certain amount of verses. My armor is also on par with the likes of Saber's, despite their fundamentally different designs and the materials used to make them."

"Ava, you're a Kuznetsov, which are famous for their healing magecraft, correct?" Haven asked.

"That's right."

"Good, that'll help a lot. You have anything else that could be helpful?"

"I'm studying Alchemy, and I've gotten pretty good at it. Bending metal comes easy to me, and I'm not to bad around a chemistry lab. Given the right materials I could make explosives, does that help?" She asked hopefully.

Haven hummed in thought. "How big of a blast?"

"House big."

"Damn, that's pretty big."

"Why are you two saying big? Some type of code?" Archer asked.

"I believe it's a type of joke." Saber answered.

"A rather poor one." Lancer cut in.

"Anyway, what can you two do?" Haven asked Rin and Shirou.

They shared a brief glance, before Rin began talking. "I was under tutoring of Zeltrech, and I possess a Mystic Code he gave to me." She finished.

""Wait what?!"" Haven and Ava both yelled at once, while Luvia just muttered under her breath.

"The Zeltrech?!" Ava asked frantically.

"The guy who can teleport in between goddamned dimensions?! What? Why? How, how are you even alive?! That guy would drop you into a dimension made of peanuts and cocaine, for fun!" Haven asked, both in complete awe that she had gained the Wizard Marshall's eye, and horrified that her Mystic Code would shoot candy corn and turn it's enemies into chickens.

"Do I look like I know?! It was a toss up between me and Luvia, and I won, plain and simple."

"No, no no no no!" Ava began yelling again. "You can't just say that you're the apprentice of a Magician and then expect us to not freak out!"

""Master!"" Lancer and Saber both yelled, making their respective Masters shrink back.

"Yelling is undignified, and if that Zeltrech is so powerful then that means she's strong too. Isn't that an amazing advantage we should appreciate." Lancer berated politely.

"You're yelling like a dumbass Master. Take the advice you go on about and cool down." Saber berated brutally.

"You're right Lancer, sorry Rin for freaking out."

"Dick." "I am aware Master." "And yeah, sorry for getting ahead of myself there Rin. Just didn't expect _that_ to be what came out of your mouth."

"Okay, that takes care of just about everyone, except Shirou." Ava said to get everyone back on track. All heads turned expectantly towards the redhead.

"I'm good at Projection and Reinforcement." He said quickly.

"So what's your specialty?" Ava asked.

"Projection and Reinforcement."

"You're kidding me."

"No, those are what I specialize in. But given the nature of my magecraft, I can't say anything else if I want to protect my safety." Shirou finished.

"Secretive," Haven commented while shrugging. "I can respect that. Just say that you can pull your weight and you could be a Dead Apostle and I wouldn't care less."

"Although I do wonder what's worth being so secretive about," Ava sighed. "I can live without knowing."

"Master," Archer spoke up. "I was wondering if we could go investigate the town. Would let us do something useful while Haven and Ava recover their clothing and equipment from their previous bases." She recommended.

"That is a smart move Archer." Lancer said.

Haven slightly raised his hand. "Or, we all work together to grab all of my own and Ava's stuff, then we all go out on the town? Have a little piece of heaven before we go to hell tonight?" He said, imagining the taste of aged vodka passing his lips, and perhaps getting with a girl before he had to go fight.

"Master, please stop thinking with your other head." Saber said, Haven jumping and looking at Saber blushing.

"Dude! You just completely broke the Bro Code!"

"Do I look like I give a damn?"

"You really are a dick!" "I try Sir."

 **Assassin**

"Let's recap." My Master stated from his position on the bed. "You saw Lancer and Saber fighting, but they were interrupted when human soldiers attacked?"

"Yes Master." I replied with a half bow. "They were definitely human, if the fact that after Saber killed them all and they didn't fade away afterwards is any indication." _They were weak._

My Master's 'student' was sitting on the other bed, scratching his head. "But, why? Humans are no match for Servants, right?"

"Yes, if a Servant had E rank Strength, it would still be ten times the absolute peak of human strength. Even a Caster would surpass the strongest Olympic athletes in every imaginable way." I explained. _You should have figured that out already you miserable cretin._

"So what's the point of sending in-" "The point is to be a distraction." Master interrupted. "By sending in the cannon fodder, they could use it as a probe to test they're skill, or hunt down a larger target." He looked towards me. "Assassin, did you observe anything else?"

"Yes, I observed a wolf familiar created by a Servant. No human could have implemented such resistance to attacks that I observed."

"It survived a direct hit from Saber, and when Archer pinned it to a wall with a dozen arrows, it still twitched. I believe that would mean that Caster is capable of creating high powered familiars to make up for their lack of physical strength. It could be bothersome if we were to let Caster build a functional Workshop and dig in their defenses."

"Thank you Assassin, but are you positive that is all the Servants you observed? Did Rider or Berserker show up at any point last night?"

"No sir," " _They're wasn't any point to looking any further. I have my victims."_ "But I did spot something strange. A large white owl observing the fight."

Master sighed, before bringing his head up with a determined look in his eyes. "I don't like being in the dark about several Servants, but the information you have procured is more than sufficient. Continue monitoring the area, and stay close enough that I can summon you if required."

"Of course Master." _"Die already you old fool."_

…

 **Anna**

"With or without cream miss?" The barista asked, as the customer puzzled over her options. She had been coming to this quaint shop ever since she had arrived here, and had trouble deciding her favorite. So, she decided to try it all. "With." She replied.

As the barista worked his magic, she mused over what Rider's familiar had observed the night before. Both her and her Servant had agreed to sit the first night out and wait to see what they were up against, and it was worrying.

Saber's Master was a wild card, one minute he was healing his enemies and the next he was ripping out someone's intestines, and his relationship with his Servant was more like two friends or brothers than a Master and Servant. Based on the owl's observations, he appeared to have far more od than a normal magus, but it caused him discomfort. Which meant that whittling his od to make him feel pain was a good strategy, if his Servant didn't have such a high rank in Endurance. His threat level was exceptionally high.

Lancer and her Master however was a different story. The Master was a young girl, and more than likely opposed to killing. Given Lancer's combat style, it would be best to target the Master first, or wait to see if she had any reserved combat abilities. She was only a minimum threat level at the moment.

Despite not making an appearance, Caster had sent several familiars out. There was several raven like beasts with diseased bodies and damaged feathers, and a large wolf with multiple eyes and a broken snout. The familiars wouldn't have concerned her, if that wolf hadn't survived direct hits from Saber and Archer. Caster was probably weak alone, but they're familiars were extremely dangerous. They were a moderate threat.

Berserker also remained unseen, but to her surprise the owl had created a hypothesis that the soldiers were under Berserker's Master's service. Rider said that his Guardian Spirit was wiser than any philosopher or scholar, but she assumed it was an overstatement. She was wrong.

"Anything else you would like ma'am?" The barista asked, and she hummed briefly as she looked at the options behind the glass. "Two regular bagels please." The barista nodded, grabbing them with a pair of things before sliding them into a paper bag and setting it on the counter next to her drink.

As she grabbed the drink and bagels, and then left left her payment on the counter, she briskly walked to the exit drink and bag in hand. She stepped into the hot morning air, and began walking down the road to her temporary home.

A left there, a right here, go for a while then turn right, and she was greeted with the rather dismal looking apartment building. It was only two stories, and several doors had 'graffiti' on them, or whatever they called the spray painted, unintelligible words or symbols.

Stepping over to the stone and metal staircase, she passed an old woman smoking a cigarette, laughing along with a younger man with dark skin on the woman's porch. The woman halfheartedly waved at her as Anna passed, and Anna returned the gesture. Sidestepping two toddlers chasing each other around, she walked to her personal room and with some rough jiggling with her key, opened it up.

In a stark contrast to the outside, the interior was ice cold, and she briefly shivered as she adjusted to the drop in temperature. The entry room was practically bare, a small couch that came courtesy of the apartment and a small foldable table in front of it, the kitchen standing at the far back of the room. Down a slim hallway was a small bathroom, and a tiny master bedroom with a claustrophobically small bathroom and closet.

She kicked off her shoes, sighing as she wiggled her now unconfined toes, and undid the illusions on her skin. She sat down on the couch and tucked her legs beneath her as she sipped the drink in her hand. Reaching up to scalp, she very carefully removed the hot tangled mess of a wig she wore and threw it gladly on the table.

Taking a quick gulp of her coffee, she looked forward. "Rider, anything happen while I was away?"

"No Master." Rider answered as he materialized in front of her bowing. "I do wish you brought me with you on you excursions into town."

"It's easier to hide my presence without you there, and if necessary I'll use one of these Command Seals to bring you to me instantly." She replied as she grabbed a bagel from the bag and took an experimental bite.

" _Good taste, good texture if a little dry, and pleasant consistency. Pairs well with coffee, so far warm is the best condition to eat it in, but perhaps eating it cold would be better."_ She thought as she swallowed the lump of dough.

Rider sighed as he realized she wasn't listening to him. He went to leave, but Ava spoke as he prepared to fade away.

"Stay," She pointed to the bag with her pinkie. "I don't plan on eating the other one, and I don't want anything to go to waste." She said quietly, her Servant chuckling slightly.

"You're worse than my daughter was." He commented as he sat down on the opposite side of the couch and fished out the pastry.

"How," Anna shifted slightly as she thought out her question. "How was your daughter?"

Rider got very quiet, and Anna was about to start apologizing when he spoke up. "She was sweet, but more stubborn than my horse. I would have loved to see her grow up into a beautiful woman," He swallowed. "But, life has a habit of 'throwing a wrench into any plan', if I'm getting the quote correct." He finished with a bitter laugh, finishing his statement with a bite into his bagel.

He chewed it somberly, before swallowing it. With an affirmative chuckle, he inspected the pastry in his hand. "Not too bad, but doesn't hold a candle to stone ground bread we made ourselves."

Anna smiled slightly. "Everything is better when you have to work for it. Just makes the final prize sweeter."

Master and Servant quietly sat on the couch, finishing their food in silence.

…

 **Caster**

"Yet again," Caster started. "I must applaud your choice in literature. This story is a truly fascinating thing to read." He finished as he flipped to the next page in _The Fellowship of the Ring_.

"I've read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings several times over, and I've read the original sequel to The Hobbit, The Silmarillion." Ezekiel replied from the kitchen, making soup, as his Servant occupied the couch.

"Sounds intriguing, what are the main differences between the Silmarillion and the Lord of the Rings?" Caster asked, still reading his book.

"The Silmarillion isn't a sequel per say, it's more so Tolkien establishing the universe more clearly. The exact word for it escapes me, but it's not important."

"It had five parts, 'Ainulindalë', 'Valaquenta 'Quenta,' 'Silmarillion', 'Akallabêth', and finally 'Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age'. Each part explains a fragment of Middle Earth, such as deities, and how the world was like before The Hobbit began. Definitely worth a look at."

"However, I neglected to bring it with me sadly." Ezekiel finished. "Have any of the Masters moved around?" He asked.

Caster closed the book and gently set it down beside him on the couch, clearing his throat. "The Masters of the Knight classes have grouped together, more then likely in a three way alliance. By following the white owl, we were led to presumably to another base. And by sending a raven after some of the stragglers of that group that assaulted Lancer and Saber, I found another."

"They've taking up residence in a small neighborhood on the opposite side of the city. I've deduced that it's a large group supporting the Master, and they were probably planning on killing Saber's and Lancer's Masters and use their Servant, most likely Berserker, to take out the Servants when they were handicapped." Caster explained.

Ezekiel paused for a second, before returning to stirring around the potato stew. "Those familiars of yours, what are they?"

"I beg your pardon, but what do you mean?"

"They resemble animals, but they look diseased and mutated. You weren't famous for making mutant animals, at least not in reality."

"I, am unaware of what exactly they are. I believe that they are supposed to be creatures that witnessed Him, and couldn't keep their regular forms after seeing His appearance. Each one seems to have a specific purpose."

"I know that, the wolves are for fighting, the ravens are for rreconnaissanc. I wouldn't be surprised if you could summon fish to sneak through the sewers or cats to sneak past boundaries."

When Caster didn't reply, Ezekiel peeked into the living room. Caster had turned to his direction, looking offended. "Not cats, not ever." He said seriously. "Cats are the most beautiful creatures on this world or any other. Even the most beautiful dog can never hope to be as beautiful as any cat. Dogs are unrefined, sloppy in their movements. Cats are always graceful, and they always look as of their actions had been planned centuries beforehand. No matter what I do, I will never do anything to bring harm to a cat." He spoke with deep conviction and determination, clearly meaning every word he uttered.

Ezekiel had to use a lot of willpower to not let his jaw drop to the floor, he never expected someone who had such dark and psychological stories to be a cat fanatic. It was arguably the most bizarre thing he had ever witnessed.

"I, I'm not going to argue with you about this, because I doubt I could win with your... determination about cats and their 'elegance'." He sheepishly replied.

Caster smirked ever so slightly as he heard that. "I've never lost an argument about cats before, and I don't plan on starting today."

" _Weirdo."_

"I can hear your thoughts through our link, and yes, I know for a fact I'm weird."

…

 **Berserker**

"That rat bastard! Using himself as bait and them sending his Servant on my men." Vogel ranted as he paced the war room that had been set up.

"The man willing to kill a kid, is mad for his opponent using shorthand tactics." Berserker commented snidely. "A bit ironic, don't you think Master?"

Vogel turned around seething. "Quiet you dog! Your attitude is pissing me off! Can't you go do something useful, like killing a Servant?!"

Berserker sighed. "You wanted me to sit it out, despite the fact that as long as I don't damage the Mark I'm practically immortal. There's a fine line between being careful and being stupid, and you crossed that line."

"The Mark is on your chest! If it was on your back or anywhere else I'd be a lot more willing to use you."

Berserker growled in response. "Pussy, you're too much of a coward to actually do anything."

"Coward! How can I be called a coward with what you did! You were too weak to acknowledge that God favored your brother over you! So you kil-"

"Shut up! You have no idea what you're talking about!" Berserker interrupted, his hands tightening into fists.

"No idea? Hah! My parents were religious zealots, I know every word of that damned 'holy book' by heart! I know that you did it out of envy, but only doomed yourself to an eternity of suffering in the process!"

"That's enough!" Berserker roared as he slammed his fist into the wall. His arm was buried almost up to his elbow in concrete, the entire wall almost buckling in on itself as it desperately tried to stay together.

Berserker breathed deeply, forcing himself to remain calm. He looked back at Vogel, who stared at the shattered wall blankly.

"Never speak about that again," Berserker said in between pants. "Or I'll tear your heart out."

"Your words can only go so far until they lose all meaning." Vogel replied calmly. "I wonder if you will ever go through with your threats?"

"Trust me, keep that shit up and you'll wish you were a fraction more tolerable to deal with." Berserker stated as he pulled his fist out of the wall and faded away.

…

Sakura: Man, Vogel is a dick.

Bazett: And very loose lipped. He just practically gave away Berserker's identity.

Sakura: Really? I couldn't tell.

Bazett: …

Bazett: H-how could you no-oh wait. You're not from region where that religion has a big foothold.

Sakura: Is Berserker pagan?

Bazett: No

Sakura: Norse?

Bazett: Too old of a mythos. Think the turning point between the Age of the Gods and the Age of Man.

Sakura: I see!

Bazett & Sakura: Thanks for reading! And leave a review if you enjoyed!


	6. Chapter 6: Dressing Up

_The curtains remained still, not opening or parting away. Hanging in the middle of the stage was a broken and beaten up sign._

 _It read:_ Due to technical difficulties, Bazett's and Sakura's Dojo will not be making an appearance this chapter. We apologize in advance.

…

 _-y F-esh Will St-t A F-re_

…

 **Ava, Luvia**

"Is this necessary Master?" Lancer asked, shedding glances around her. Her Master and Archer's Master had dragged them out of the house, and brought them into this mall. Never mind that Archer stood out like a sore thumb, their current outfits were completely mismatched together. Due to Archer's height, they had to throw on one of Haven's spare trenchcoats and his boots, with a white tank top that revealed her jacket and pants that went up to her shins.

Lancer luckily managed to get away with wearing Rin's clothing, but it was constricting her arms, thighs, and her chest. The girl was small, and when Lancer had voiced her complaints she noticed a torn look on the young woman's face.

"It's fine." Ava responded as she ran her fingers along the hangers. "Now, does blue or green match you better?"

"I personally believe green is a better fit. Complements her eyes." Luvia chimed in.

"I do agree with Lancer, this is truly unnecessary. We can maintain Spiritual Forms when not needed, purchasing clothing for us is a waste." Archer said, looking over the aisles around them. There was countless pieces of clothing, of every size and shape for about 30 meters around them. "To add on to that, my size prevents me from using any clothing not custom fit."

"You're referring to pants aren't you?" Luvia asked, Archer nodding stiffly in reply. She noticed yet another man doing a double take when they saw her. She hoped that they didn't run into anyone with a tall woman fetish.

"Then we'll just need a skirt that fits your waistline." Lucia replied triumphantly. Archer's eyes widened for half a second, but she just sighed.

"What possessed you two to purchase us clothing?"

Ava's face flushed. "I, I got the idea when Lancer woke me up when she wasn't wearing her armor a couple weeks ago. I never got the chance because I was too busy making my base hidden." She admitted, Archer and Luvia sharing a look.

Luvia fished around the shirts, getting an evil look as she pulled one off the rack. "How about this one, I believe it should fit Lancer rather snugly."

The shirt in her hands was pitch black and made of a soft fabric that clung to the skin tightly, with a V-neck that went to the middle of the chest. Ava imagined it on Lancer, and her face colored several shades deeper.

"How about not!" She squeaked as she grabbed the shirt and forcefully put it back on the rack. She looked absolutely mortified, and Lancer could only look with confusion. "Master? Are you alright?" She asked, leaning closer to Ava, raising her head with tender fingers on the girl's chin.

Luvia and Archer shared another look, and a couple two rows down began whispering to themselves. From their perspective, they were watching a middle aged Chinese woman with a strong presence getting rather personal with a teenager, while two blondes watched, one of them being immensely tall.

"I-I-I-I'm fine! Promise! Never felt better!" She squeaked again, quickly moving her head away from Lancer's soft hands, blushing so hard it almost hurt.

"Miss Lancer is rather slow to pick up on the obvious, isn't she?" Luvia whispered, watching as Lancer got close to Ava again, the Russian failing miserably at keeping her thoughts off her face.

"I'm rather surprised she hasn't figured it out yet? Or perhaps she has, and is doing this for fun?" Archer replied, having to crouch down low to get to Luvia's ear.

"I have a plan to get this boat moving," Archer continued . "If you will let me do some simple orders, Master?"

Luvis bit her lip. "I'll allow it. Take the lead."

Archer nodded, before standing up straight and clapping her hands to get the other girl's attention. "Alright, I don't believe there will be any shirts my size here, so me and Luvia are going to check other stores. You two have fun now~." She said in a way that Ava felt a chill crawl up her spine.

As the Servant and Master walked away, Ava sputtered uselessly. When she realized she was going nowhere, she fell forward groaning.

"Mas-" "Please don't call me that in public." Ava deadpanned.

"Would you prefer Mistress?" Lancer asked helpfully .

"That's even worse!"

…

 **Rin & Shirou**

"This thing smells absolutely horrid." Shirou groaned as Rin continued to sift through the remains of Caster's familiar. She had gone to a local hardware store, and bought the two of them full body rubber aprons, elbow length gloves, face masks, and goggles.

After transforming a spare room into a clean room using plastic sheets, they had started to investigate a wolf familiar Archer had shot. Rin opened up the carcass again, noting the deformed ribcage and the tumor ridden organs.

"Try describing the smell. Like rotting meat, or something else?" Rin asked, knowing that her lover's strange way of detecting mana.

"It smells, like old fish." Shirou replied, and Rin couldn't restrain her sigh.

"Old fish, really?"

"I'm being serious! Remember when you left a plate of sushi out on the counter overnight!"

"I'm telling you it was Taiga's fault." Rin remarked.

"It smells like that, except about ten times worse."

"So, we're looking for a magus possibly associated with water." She squeezed a cyst on the beasts shoulder, noting how it was surprisingly tough for something that looked like it could bur-The cyst quickly popped, sending yellowish puss all over Rin's mask and goggles.

Shirou gagged as the smell increased several times over in strength, and Rin began to very carefully remove the goggles. "Shirou you ass! Help me!"

 **Haven**

In a small building in the ghetto of Phoenix, a large man sat behind a metal desk, skimming through a paper. With balding hair and a long beard, and wearing nothing but jeans, combat boots, and a leather vest gave him the look of a biker or criminal. That hypothesis wasn't wrong by any account.

He was Octavius De Lion, an immigrant from France who also happened to be a member of what he simply referred to as "The Cartel". Trying to get any more answers out of him would either result in him laughing at you, or a knife in your gut.

"Yo."

The arms dealer glanced up and looked back down at his paper, before he registered who was standing there and jolted upwards.

"Holy shit! Is that you Solomon!" The old man said, clapping his hands together and laughing. "Thought you died back in '02!" He said as walked around the desk and grabbed the younger man in a one armed hug.

"I'm a tough son of a bitch, you know that Oct." Haven said as he returned the hug.

"Been too goddamn long. How the hell have you been, I'd imagine a buckshot to the chest would have probably limited your ability to contact me!" He yelled as he returned to his desk and pulled out a large bottle filled with a green liquid, fishing out two small glasses.

"Isn't absinthe illegal in America?"

Octavius sighed. "Only the fun kind."

Haven blinked, before looking at the bottle. "Is, is that the fun kind?"

Dead silence followed, the sound of pipes rattling becoming readily apparent.

"Maybe, maybe not. Wanna find out?" He finally answered, shaking the bottle around.

Haven smirked but he shook his head no. "I gotta a job in town. Can't be the 'scariest cripple' on Gaia if I'm hallucinating."

"Damn it. Would have been a good reason I'm going to be late to the meeting."

"With who?" Haven asked.

Octavius waved the question off. "No one important, they're all sacks of shit anyway."

Haven walked forward, sitting partially on the edge of the desk. "I figured you'd say something like that."

Octavius muttered under his breath as he sat down. "Anyway," He said, picking up the conversation. "What are you doing in the Southwest? Figured you would want to stay as far away as possible after that Mexican bastard, was it Coyote or some other stupid alias he was using?"

"Oh yeah, I got that slimy shit about a year back. 45-70 through his neck, turned his wife's white dress to scarlet."

"You killed him at his wedding?!"

"Well, yeah. About ten other thorns in my bosses and my sides were there, gave them a pretty clear warning who not to fuck with." Haven reasoned. "Although, the wife did kinda go a little nuts and hunted me for three months before I shot her too."

Octavius stared. He opened his mouth, and closed it, before opening it again. "It's like a conga line of death with you isn't it?"

"A bullet is a lot more efficient than honeyed words." Haven said without hesitation.

"Not gonna argue with you there."

Octavius scratched his beard as he spoke. "Anyway, I doubt you came here purely so we could be all chummy and reminisce about old news." He said as he threw his feet, the desk creaking under the sudden weight.

Haven's face hardened. "In the last several weeks to months, has anyone moved large amounts of weaponry and ammo into the local area?"

"Hmmmm, I'm not sure. But they may have been using other channels. The only way they could make it work would be through flying towards Utah and loading it down through vehicles. All the Mexican gangs have an iron grip here, and unless you're a friend or paid them enough you won't be allowed to fly anything below the radar here."

"If you're thinking of following the cookie crumbs, try other informants in town, or go up North yourself." Octavius recommended .

Haven sighed, but thanked him anyway and went towards the exit, the door creaking on its hinges. Octavius spoke up as Haven put his foot out the door.

"You still following that path?"

"'The Path of the Beast'? You know I don't care about stupid things about this world's idea of justice or right and wrong." Haven said.

"You're breaking down. Look at yourself, you haven't shaved in weeks and your hair is a rat's nest." Octavius sighed. "Look, I ain't asking you to become the Pope. I'm just asking you to look who's life is in your hands once in a while. Maybe that life will be the one to save yours?" He asked rhetorically .

Haven bit his lip, but outwardly responded with a chuckle. "You've been hitting that bottle too hard." He replied as he fully opened the door and shut it behind him.

…

 **Caren: The Morning After The First Battle**

" _Couldn't they have at least helped in cleaning up?"_ Caren mused as she looked over the wrecked parking garage. When she had arrived with several church members, she had expected some simple hypnotism to clean up the mess the Servants had made.

Instead, she got an entire level of a building filled with corpses and reports of sick animals to cover up.

Sighing, she took a moment to ensure that no one had interrupted their 'cleaning'. In reality, her and the members who had come with her were simply just stacking the bodies up into a pile and then use some simple techniques to destroy the bodies.

"Miss Caren?" A voice coming from her left asked. "Are you alright? You seem as if you're distracted."

"It's nothing Nina. Just annoyed." She answered her 'assistant overseer' as the church claimed. She was more inclined to believe that Nina and her father was playing doctor and nurse, making sure her condition didn't worsen.

"Ah, I have to agree. Using other people to try and fight heroic figures who's famous deeds are still known and recounted today, truly a waste of life." She said sadly.

Nina was rather tall, towering over Caren by several inches, and wore priest's robes instead of a nun's habit. Her brown hair was long, falling past her shoulder blades, and her parted in the middle, leaving the cross shaped scar on her forehead visible to the world.

"And cleaning up their messes certainly puts a dent in our plans of maintaining peace. A stray bullet, and this entire war is shown to the world." Caren added.

One of the men piling the bodies broke away from the pile, and walked towards the two women of God. He was an older man with olive skin and wavy gray hair parted down the middle, he wore a cassock that went to his knees, and a crimson scarf with golden crosses at the ends hung around his wiry neck.

He briefly adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. " _Mi Señora_ , the corpses have been prepared for disposal." He said calmly as he bowed slightly.

"Thank you Father Angelo, your assistance is most appreciated."

The priest smiled. "It is of no issue for me _Señorita_ Caren, the years here have been rather dull if I may admit. As heretical as it may be, this 'Holy Grail War' is bringing much needed entertainment."

Caren gained an evil smile at that. "You two must have been terribly bored, if stacking dead bodies is your idea of entertainment, Father."

Angelo balked slightly, but his surprise gave way to laughter soon afterwards. "Well, this part is rather unpleasant. But the prospect of seeing Saint Martha or Saint George in the flesh, that would certainly bring some life to these old bones." He explained after catching his breath.

"So you're hoping that you would see someone of Catholic origins Papa?" Nina asked.

"Yes my dear. Imagine! Seeing a pope long passed fighting for God! Or perhaps we would see someone else, such as Joan of Arc! These Grail wars are heresy, but they offer a glimpse into the past long forgotten. Oh what I wouldn't give to merely talk with one of those, what are they called, 'Servants'? The knowledge they could provide could change the world!" He said with an energy that betrayed his age.

Nina raised an eyebrow at her father's enthusiasm, but said nothing. Caren smirked, but kept quiet as well.

"Ah, Miss Caren. I was wondering if you would like to join me and Nina for lunch. The brothers should be wrapping up with the damaged road several blocks away, and we are more than willing to drive you. What do you say?" Angelo asked, a smile gracing his features.

"A generous offer Father, but I'm afraid I must decline. I need to make sure no one witnessed any Masters or Servants in the chaos of last night." Caren replied evenly.

"I see," Angelo frowned. "Truly a tragedy when someone as young as you must deal with issues as large as this war." He said, before offering his hand. As Caren shook it, he smiled again. "If you ever require our assistance, you know where to find us Miss Caren. I shall be sure to include you in my prayers tonight."

"Thank you sir, I trust that you will finish cleaning up here?"

"The building is set to be demolished tomorrow, and I have a special way of removing bodies and not leaving any trace."

Caren nodded, and turned around and began walking towards the stairwell. "Good day Father Angelo."

"And a good day to you, Sister Caren." Angelo replied to her retreating form. He looked towards his daughter. "And I believe you should hurry if you wish to continue being her shadow, Nina."

Nina blushed as she realized her mistake and hurriedly ran after the small nun, leaving the former Executer alone.

"Enrico, you may leave." He said as he turned around, the younger of the two thankful he had been excused.

"Thank you Father." The young priest thanked as he stood in a half bow.

"I am undeserving of such praise, just promise you'll get home safely."

As Enrico left, a small laugh escaped the senior priest. He restrained his humor until he was alone, before he let it escape him in the fullest. He almost fell to his knees from how uproariously he cackled. "Despite the differences, despite the soldiers used, despite the men behind the scenes, this is truly what I hoped for."

"The innocent being used as blind pawns," He spoke as he began walking towards the pile of corpses. "The bastards out for personal gain, the fools dragged into it without knowing what direction is up, the ones martyring themselves for their gods, and the one standing in the far back, watching the bloodshed!" He finished loudly as he stood in front of the lifeless bodies.

"This is truly, a war."

A blade pierced one of the corpses, the entire pile lighting up in a blinding inferno. They began to quickly disintegrate, the flames melting through the flesh and metal alike, charring all in its path. In the light of the flames, wires that protruded from his wrists and ankles became visible as they silently waved through the air like serpents.

The priest smiled as he pulled out a necklace of rosary beads, a wooden cross hanging delicately from it. "I am glad I was allowed to witness such a thing one more time, thank you my Lord for allowing this humble disciple to do what he's always loved. Amen." He prayed, holding the cross to his mouth and kissing it.

As he finished his prayers, his eyes jolted open as he remembered something important. "The homunculus! I have not checked it since yesterday morning!"

The strings began to shift and warp, whatever on the other end jerking around violently as it's wielder willed them to pull the object on the other end to the Church.

On the nearly other side of the city, the wires led to strange looking puppet creeping through the sewers, flying a foot above the water. It had a large potbelly, gangly legs, and a hunchback. It wore simple white clothing with large buttons keeping it together. A black leather mask rested on its face, portraying a comically large nose, a wart on the forehead, their eyebrows forever raised in surprise.

It erratically turned a corner, it's empty eyes searching for the familiar paths it would need to take. Cross under the bank systems, through a closed off subway, down another level, and then pass another several buildings.

Popping it's head out of the manhole, it confirmed that it was alone before exiting and quickly entered the church. Passing the pews, it stood at the altar, Angelo furrowing his brow as he tried to remember how to open it, the puppet following suit by tapping it's forehead repeatedly.

It flew above the altar, before moving the cloth draping it aside, revealing a small door. It made a pleased noise as it opened the entrance, revealing a small wooden ladder leading down into the depths. It reoriented itself so that it's feet would go down first, but encountered a problem once it got it's legs inside.

Angelo and the puppet both slapped their hand onto their faces as they remembered the puppet's potbelly. The puppet scratched its head as Angelo pondered how to get inside. Angelo's eyes widened as he thought up a way, but was cursing the dolls design as he began relaying his thoughts to the doll

"This will be a mess to clean up afterwards." Angelo muttered as the puppet flicked its wrist, the hilt of a Black Key flying out of its sleeve. The conceptual blade quickly materialized as its other hand opened the buttons on its suit.

As the puppet's head turned away its arm went down to its large stomach and began sawing away. Mock crying came from the puppet as stuffing flew into the air from the pressure that it was under.

After several hard to watch seconds, the pot belly was now in the puppets hands, and the Black Key had been sheathed back in the puppets sleeve. Mournfully looking at its stomach, the puppet with its exposed wooden innards began to easily slide down the small shaft.

After going down a story, the shaft ended at a small room with a door. The puppet began hurriedly shoving its stomach back on, and with difficulty buttoned its outfit again. Coughing squeakily into its hand, it opened the door.

The room beyond the wooden door was like a prison cell, concrete on all sides, four lightbulbs spaced around the room to light up the small figure that sat on its knees in the middle of the floor.

It resembled a human fetus, but it hovered in midair surrounded by a blue light. It was a hefty purchase from the Einzbern clan, but the Mage's Association deemed it worth it. The Phoenix Grail System was similar to Fuyuki's, and they both required a Lesser Grail to activate the Greater Grail. This homunculus was a massive od vacuum, sucking up any energy around it. Angelo had to be careful his puppet didn't get too close, otherwise the energy link between them would be devoured by the homunculus in front of them.

From a safe distance away, the puppet quietly floated around it, looking for signs of degradation or growth. Supposedly it was a failed Lesser Grail, but even it's current state it still took in energy like other, more developed, homunculi.

After quietly observing it and confirming that it hadn't grown any more or had rotted, the puppet made a pleased noise and went to a corner in the room, nestling itself in.

As the link between magus and puppet was severed, the priest shuddered. Using that _thing_ always made him feel uneasy, no matter the circumstances. He swore that he could feel something in the empty husk, but every time he checked nothing was there.

As the priest's senses returned to his body, he shuddered at the unfamiliar energy flowing through his nerves. It felt sticky, and disgusting . Like his body had been dunked in oil, and he was forbidden to cleanse himself.

Shaking away the nasty od, he became painfully aware of the scent of blood and steel burning. Gagging, he reached for his scarf and went to cover his face, but changed his mind and grabbed a handkerchief from the inside of his jacket instead. Using a Holy Shroud as an impromptu gas mask was probably a guaranteed way to Hell itself, and for all his flaws he wasn't going to add "disrespectful of ancient artifacts" onto that list.

…

 _The stage still remains empty, until very quiet footsteps approach._

Anthem-kun: He-hello? Holy crap it's you! Thank goodness, I thought they had brought me somewhere else, like the Gulag or Alcatraz.

Anthem-kun: Anyway, I don't think the girls are here right now, do I would like to apologize for the smaller chapter. I just needed to get this out to:

A: We crossed the 40k word mark! I would have balloons, or maybe one of those small confetti cannon, things.

B: To keep the plot moving forward.

Anthem-kun: Also, to my fellow authors, have any of you accidentally fallen into the shiphole of your own ship you created? Because somehow I've become Lancer x Ava trash, don't ask me how or why, I just did. Don't give me a ladder, just send me your condolences.

Anthem-kun: Now, I'm going to sneak back in my cell before Dark Sakura comes back. I'd prefer to keep my sanity thank you very much.


End file.
